Château de Beaucastel
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhône, Rhône, France
Double decanted two nights before service. The 2006 pours a deep, slightly hazy garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with a mix of desiccated fruit and funky umami notes: bruised and desiccated strawberry, red rope licorice, nori, Cherry Dr. Pepper, cracked black pepper and leather. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is forever long and saline; it just hangs around forever. Initially, this came across as bit backward but it really gained power and character the more time it spent in the glass. Drink now with patience and through 2036.
Double decanted two nights before service. The 2006 pours a deep, slightly hazy garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with a mix of desiccated fruit and funky umami notes: bruised and desiccated strawberry, red rope licorice, nori, Cherry Dr. Pepper, cracked black pepper and leather. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is forever long and saline; it just hangs around forever. Initially, this came across as bit backward but it really gained power and character the more time it spent in the glass. Drink now with patience and through 2036.
Nov 10th, 2024
Capitol Region Wine Collectors Club (WCC), Chateauneuf du Pape; 5 October 2023 at Café Capriccio, Albany, NY
Capitol Region Wine Collectors Club (WCC), Chateauneuf du Pape; 5 October 2023 at Café Capriccio, Albany, NY
Oct 6th, 2023
It took two bottles but here we are. This is in the zone. Don’t hold. 2019 is the end.
It took two bottles but here we are. This is in the zone. Don’t hold. 2019 is the end.
Aug 11th, 2019
Fresh games blue fruit. A lean, bright edge with some tang- then quite tart fruit. Good balance. A leaner, fresher CNdP.
Fresh games blue fruit. A lean, bright edge with some tang- then quite tart fruit. Good balance. A leaner, fresher CNdP.
Jul 28th, 2019
Tastes more like a mature Bandol than a CDP. Smoky, barky, deeply gravelly, intensely concentrated dark blackberry fruit. A little scorchy note in the finish. Very full and still some tannin to shed.
Tastes more like a mature Bandol than a CDP. Smoky, barky, deeply gravelly, intensely concentrated dark blackberry fruit. A little scorchy note in the finish. Very full and still some tannin to shed.
Jan 1st, 2017
Deep and complex with focused blue fruit, garrigue, stony and almost smoky. Beautiful complexity and definitely showing some secondary notes, but the acidity (at least of this bottle) was pretty high still and didn't start to integrate until 4 hours in the decanter. Plenty of life left to hold onto bottles for 5-10 years.
Deep and complex with focused blue fruit, garrigue, stony and almost smoky. Beautiful complexity and definitely showing some secondary notes, but the acidity (at least of this bottle) was pretty high still and didn't start to integrate until 4 hours in the decanter. Plenty of life left to hold onto bottles for 5-10 years.
Apr 18th, 2016
Concentrated, ripe blue and black fruit. Soft, fleshy texture. Cracked pepper and spice. Clean earth. Drying flower petal. Beginning to develop secondary character behind adolescent acid. This was in a good spot and has miles ahead of it. Pretty outrageous stuff.
Concentrated, ripe blue and black fruit. Soft, fleshy texture. Cracked pepper and spice. Clean earth. Drying flower petal. Beginning to develop secondary character behind adolescent acid. This was in a good spot and has miles ahead of it. Pretty outrageous stuff.
Apr 16th, 2016Wednesday nights, you need a pork chop!
Wednesday nights, you need a pork chop!
Jul 9th, 2015Grenache is coming through pretty strong in this one, but the backbone is there. Needs a few more years.
Grenache is coming through pretty strong in this one, but the backbone is there. Needs a few more years.
Mar 5th, 2015
More muted and underdeveloped than I imagined
More muted and underdeveloped than I imagined
Dec 24th, 2014