January 12, 2023 - Chateau de Beaucastel

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Tasting of Chateau de Beaucastel from 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2019. The wine club has been collecting these vintages for years and this is almost a straight vertical.

Wines

Reviews & Tasting Notes:

  • 2019 Château de Beaucastel CDP Blanc

    • “The 2019 reveals a lighter gold hue as well as a beautiful and classic bouquet of honeyed citrus, quince, white flowers, bee’s wax, and a touch of flinty minerality. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has flawless balance, nicely integrated acidity, and a great, minerally finish. You can enjoy bottles today with a decant or cellar for two to three decades, if you’re so inclined." — 95 points Jeb Dunnuck

    • “A mealy nose, initially a little shy with a subtle whiff of almonds and red apple. Rounded and rich, and also has a note of bruised apple and marzipan. Creamy mouthfeel, and closed down for action just now. But all is really nicely put together, balanced and correct.” — Jancis Robinson Note : 17+ - 2020-11-27

    • “Gentle, plump and fairly opulent this year, the oak is well handled, sits in the background and adds body, weight and complexity of aroma and texture. A balanced, very classic expression of Beaucastel blanc. The acidity is fairly low this year, but the wine has a savoury and noble bitterness that supplies the structure. A good vintage, but one to drink young. 80% Roussanne; all other Châteauneuf white grapes make up remainder. 30% of the blend goes into oak on a four-year rotation.” — 94 points Decanter

    • “Gorgeous, showing a lovely display of seamlessly layered apricot, peach, Cavaillon melon and mirabelle plum flavors, with meringue, brioche, salted butter and macadamia nut notes. Delivers a lengthy finish, where everything flows so beautifully that it just brings you right back wanting more. Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc.” — Wine Spectator Note : 96/100 - 2022-01-01

    • From FamillePerrin.com: “The production of white wine at Beaucastel is limited as we only have 7 hectares of white vines planted. The main variety is Roussanne, representing 80% of the blend.”

      • Roussanne : 80%
        Grenache blanc : 15%
        Picardan, Clairette, Bourboulenc : 5%

  • 2008 Chateau de Beaucastel CDP

    • "The 2008 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape is one of the few outstanding wines produced in this vintage. More evolved than Beaucastel’s wines tend to be, it reveals a healthy dark plum/ruby color, notes of licorice, meat juices, smoked game, black currants and garrigue, medium to full body, silky tannins, good freshness, surprising depth for the vintage and a long finish. Drink it over the next decade.” — Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Note : 90/100 - 2010-10-30

    • “Ripe and very sleek, with a dense core of cassis, blackberry, anise framed by violet and spice. The long finish drips with juicy fruit and subtle toast, with a flash of iron boding well for cellaring. Shows great freshness and balance for the vintage.” — Wine Spectator Insider Note : 93/100 - 2011-11-11

    • “Marc calls this ‘quite a Northern style’. Already quite open, the nose is immensely inviting with notes of liquorice, roasted game, blackcurrants, violets and garrigue. Beautifully focussed yet opulent texture, quite full on the palate with silky tannins, good freshness, and a long finish.” — Averys Blog, Aaron Rice - 2011-11-10

    • “A superb showing by the 2008 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape and a very complete wine that will surprise people who think ‟08 was a poor vintage. Showing solid complexity and an open personality, with aromas of meat, lavender, garrigue, and licorice, medium body, solid concentration, and plenty of length, this will be a relatively early drinking wine by Beaucastel standards. Never the less, it should continue to positively evolve for 3-5 years and have 15 years of longevity.” — The Rhone Report, Jeb Dunnuck Note : 92/100 - 2011-09-09

    • “Medium to dark ruby in color, this wine smells of mulberry and wet stones, with a hint of dried fennel seeds and crushed herbs in the background. In the mouth, tight tannins wrap around an equally compact core of raspberry and cherry that sits on top of a deep earthy and mineral core. Good length and breadth. A cold and rainy vintage with yields down roughly 50% from normal.” — Vinography Note: Between 9 and 9.5

      • Mourvèdre : 30%
        Grenache : 30%
        Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne : 15%
        Syrah : 10%
        Counoise : 10%
        Cinsault : 5%

  • 2009 Château de Beaucastel CDP

    • "This is not the bottled final blend but it's very close to it. 13 varieties including 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache and 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, 5% Cinsault. Held back but there is so much waiting to escape. You can feel all those components coming together (I had just tasted the varieties Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise and Cinsault as separate - non-commerical - bottlings). The brightness of the Grenache, that dry, firm framework and length from the Mourvèdre and the completeness of the blend. Dry, fresh, long and impressive in its embryonic state. Power and finesse. Great length." — Jancis Robinson - 2010, 18/20

    • "The 2009 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape is reminiscent of their brilliant 1985. It will be one of the rare Beaucastels that is drinkable upon release. Made from this estate’s classic blend, it possesses soft tannins as well as a silky, open-knit seductiveness, a dense plum/purple color and a beautiful perfume of smoky Provencal herbs intermixed with grilled steak juices, garrigue, kirsch and blue as well as black fruits. The wine is full-bodied, unctuously textured, and silky smooth (the latter characteristic being somewhat atypical for a young Beaucastel). If it performs like the 1985, it will drink well young and continue to do so for 25 or more years.” — Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate - 2011, 94/100

    • "The 2009 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape had just been bottled at the time of the tasting but you wouldn‟t know it by tasting it. A blend of 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, and 20% assorted varieties, the wine delivers a superb aromatic display of kirsch and black cherry-like fruits to go with a solid dose of underlying meat, truffle, earth, and leather. Full-bodied and gorgeously concentrated through the middle, with fleshy, ripe fruit, good acidity, and an abundance of structure, this will ideally be left alone for 7-8 years and then consumed over the following two decades.” — The Rhone Report, Jeb Dunnuck - 2011, 96/100

    • "My splurge/collector’s choice from the release. This is world class wine, one that you can easily set aside for at least a decade. Given what “world-class” typically means in buying wine, the price is more than reasonable. Beaucastel is noted for an unusually high proportion of Mourvedre in its Grenache/Syrah blend, which gives it longevity. Right now the wine shows an underlying earthiness, with opulent black fruit and a touch of black olives, mixed Asian spices, and a whiff of pencil lead in the background.” — Guelph Mercury, Dan Kislenko - 2012

  • 2011 Château de Beaucastel CDP

    • "Inky ruby. Powerful, expressive aromas of red- and blackcurrant, cherry and licorice, with suave anise and floral overtones. Juicy and precise, with tangy red and dark berry flavors, supple texture and a strong mineral note on the back. Spicy on the finish, which shows very good focus and length. This is impressively elegant and should be drinkable on the young side. " — International Wine Cellar, Josh Raynolds Note : 91-93/100

    • "Reminiscent of a lighter weight 2009, the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape offers up a sweet bouquet of spiced black cherries, plum, truffle, saddle leather and underbrush. Coming from tiny yields (which were down 50% from 2010), this medium to full-bodied 2011 is gorgeously textured and has solid mid-palate depth, terrific purity of fruit and ripe tannin. Relatively approachable and enjoyable even now, it should nevertheless evolve gracefully for 15-20 years."— Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Jeb Dunnuck Note : 94/100 - 2013-11-01

    • "Very sleek and refined despite the obvious heft, featuring steeped red and black currant fruit studded with bergamot, blood orange, sweet tobacco and alder notes. The long, racy finish has a lovely echo of singed mesquite. Best from 2015 through 2027." — Wine Spectator, James Molesworth Note : 94/100 - 2014-05-21

  • 2012 Château de Beaucastel CDP

    • “This is also a great vintage for the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape. Beautifully rich and layered, with fantastic concentration and ultra-fine tannin, it delivers impressive aromas and flavors of dark fruits, licorice, mineral, and plum. Dense and rich, yet with perfect ripeness and bright acidity, it should end up being a classic example of Beaucastel and have two decades of longevity." — Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Jeb Dunnuck Note : 94-96/100 - 2013-11-01

    • “Deep, dark and brooding, this 2012 Beaucastel combines fresh hedgerow fruit with liquorice, clove, Middle Eastern spice and gentle cherry liqueur richness. Extremely impressive concentration on the palate, this is fleshy but serious; where the layers of flavour continue to add intrigue and complexity right through the finish.” — Lay and Wheeler - 2013-10-15

    • “Beautiful fruits, both black and red berry. Garrigue, spice. A super succulent and unctuous wine possessing silky, sensual tannins. Wonderfully textured and incredibly approachable.” — Fields Morris Verdin - 2013-10-10

    • “What I think might end up being the best Beaucastel since the 1990 or 2001, the 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape offers a full-bodied, decadent style to go with awesome black and blue fruits, garrigue, licorice, crushed flowers and violets. The purity here is truly something, and it has fabulous mid-palate concentration, building tannin and massive texture. Given all of the fruit and texture here, it will no doubt drink well in its youth, but it should still be alive and kicking after two decades as well." — Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Jeb Dunnuck Note : 96/100 - 2014-10-30

    • “Warm raspberry and boysenberry confiture aromas and flavors are dominant in this lush, inviting style, but there's plenty of dried star anise, bay leaf, licorice root, worn leather and roasted juniper notes to fill out the chorus. The finish turns youthfully grippy, with a tarry edge holding sway and adding serious length. Try now, but cellar for maximum effect. Best from 2018 through 2030. — Wine Spectator, James Molesworth Note : 95/100 - 2015-10-28

    • From FamillePerrin.com:

      • “The Story: Château de Beaucastel has long been regarded as one of the greatest wines in France. It is notorious for its elegance, balance and ageing potential. Beaucastel has an exceptional terroir at the Northern limit of Châteauneuf du Pape, exposed to the Mistral wind. All thirteen varieties of the appellation have been organically grown since the sixties.

      • Terrior: Château de Beaucastel is 110 hectares, with one single plot at the north of the appellation. The terroir is archetypal of the best terroirs in Châteauneuf: rolled pebbles on the surface, sand, clay and limestone deeper down. The vines are old and have been organically grown for 50 years, which has allowed the roots to grow exceptionally deep.

      • Ageing: Each variety is harvested separately and manually. Vinification takes place in oak fermenters for the reductive varieties (Mourvèdre, Syrah) and in traditional enameled concrete tanks for the Oxidative grapes (all the others). Once the malolactic fermentation is finished, the Famille Perrin blends the different varieties. The blend is then aged in oak Foudres for a year before being bottled.”

Suggested Food Pairing

Vegetarian info: Pairing Bold Red Wines with Vegetarian or Vegan Food

Steaks or Chops with Wine Pan Sauce

The original Craig Claiborne recipe was printed in the New York Times in 1967 and called “Veal Chops Beau Séjour”.  It has since been published on the NYT Cooking website under the same title.  Here’s the link to what must have been a haute cuisine recipe at the time.  It’s very adaptable various meat and wine choices.

Vicki O’Briant’s “I’m almost too tired to cook” version:

 Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 4 steaks or chops (pork, veal or lamb) chops, about 1 ½ inches thick

  • Flour for dredging

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 4 peeled garlic cloves

  • 1 large (or 2 small) bay leaves

  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme

  • Salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons of the red wine you are serving for dinner

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock

Process:

  • Pour yourself a glass of wine or mix a martini or cocktail of your choice.  Take a sip.

  • Place dinner plates in warm oven

  • Heat the oil and 2T butter in a skillet to sizzling.  Don’t cover the pan but have a lid handy for later.

  • Dredge the meat in flour and brown well in skillet.

  • Put garlic, bay leaves, thyme and salt & pepper in pan.

  • Reduce heat to low and cover pan.  Cook until meat is your desired level of doneness.

  • Remove meat to warmed plates.

  • Add wine to skillet and cook over med-high heat until almost evaporated.

  • Add chicken stock and continue to reduce until saucy.

  • Turn off the burner and stir in the last tablespoon of butter.

  • Pour the sauce over the meat and discard the bay leaf.

  • Serve with mashed potatoes, a salad or green veg.

  • Cocktail should be finished by now.

  • Don’t leave the dinner table until the wine bottle is empty.