Originally posted 11/25/02
Got together last night with nine other local Chteauneuf-du-Pape aficionados for a rather extensive Beaucastel tasting. Seventeen vintages spanning all of the major highlights from 72 to the just released 00.
Like all of the great wines out there, Beaucastel shows a clear and repetitive characteristic in its wines, though there was an obvious change starting with the 95 when the wines lost the Brett character that the estate was famous for and became cleaner, more fruit-driven wines. Some folks have a higher tolerance for Brett than others and for those of us that like a bit of funk in our wines, theres perhaps a little sadness in its passing. That said, the cleaner wines are superb.
This truly was a fun tasting, though perhaps a bit laborious as there were a lot of wines and were not talking about prima ballerinas here. Still, I believe we all went home very happy.
Notes are in order tasted.
Brad
1989 Domaine du Closel- Savennires, Clos Papillon
A deep yellow with a reticent nose at first, but after leaving it alone for an hour or two in the glass, it opened nicely to reveal honey, quince, Savennires earthiness and a nice nutty note. Bone dry, but rich and well-balanced on the palate. The fruit is quite ripe, but does not have the overripe character the 90 has. Like flavors as aromas and showing quite young. Love it. Solid A-.
2001 Joh. Hos. Christoffel- Riesling Kabinett, Erdener Treppchen, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Quite pale in color with an intriguing nose of ripe stone fruits, mineral and a distinct jalepeno pepper note. Ripe and full on the palate with similar flavors as aromas, with a wide mineral streak. Fans of traditional Kabinetts may be a little let-down with this wine and the 2001 Kabinetts in general due to their ripeness, but this is lovely stuff. Low A-.
Flight I
1972 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
An aromatic nose of earth, leather, brown roots and aged cherry fruit. Showing its age on the palate as theres precious little fruit left and the wine dries up on the finish. Somewhat like a traditional Rioja with a strong, old wood and citrus characteristic along with a strong tertiary element. Has some interesting merits, but drink up quickly. B-.
1978 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
A dark, somewhat brooding nose that shows rich, roasted fruit, sweet spice and earthy notes. Perhaps not a pristine bottle, it was purchased recently and shipped cross country, as while there was a nice upfront burst of fruit, the wine showed real signs of drying out. Enjoyable cherry, cedar, leather and mushroom flavors, but the spiky acidity, combined with the drying aspect, detracts from the experience. A bit austere on the finish. B+/B.
1979 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Shows an interesting Vietnamese fish sauce component on the nose with black fruit, spice and resin. Shows the best freshness and fruit in this flight, though the wine is a bit hollow. Theres a core of sweet cherry here that is very enjoyable, but the wine really thins out in the middle. Fully resolved with the acidity keeping the wine alive. B+.
Flight II:
1981 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
The most muted nose of this flight, though theres a nice dose of Brett, menthol, spice and red fruit. Complex and showing great depth on the palate. Its an integrated tapestry of sweet cherries and raspberries, spicy cedar and earth and a hit of barnyard. Turns a touch lean, but is very enjoyable. Solid A-.
1983 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Quite similar in profile to the 81 in terms of the fruit, spice and animal flavors and aromas, though theres less Brett here and a touch of alcohol showing on the nose and palate. While certainly leaner and not as well integrated as the 81, theres an appealing liqueur-like quality to the raspberry and cherry fruit. A-/B+.
1985 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
A very different animal than either the 81 or 83. Its a simpler, more resolved and plumper wine than the 81 and 83. Plenty of rich black fruit and sweet spices to go around. Lots of puppy fat here. A rich, easy going mouthfeel. Fairly low acid with soft tannins. Solid A-.
Flight III:
1986 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Perhaps the most pungent wine of the night as ones greeted with broken sewage pipe aromas with some decaying leaves. However, on the palate the wine is showing a lot more vigor and balance than I recall this wine having in the past. Ive always found it a hard, lean and austere wine and while this bottle certainly has that aspect, theres a good dose of cherry fruit thats keeping the wine fairly well-balanced. Theres a bit of poop and spice along with some underbrush and wet, dead leaves on the finish. A better showing than I expected. Solid B+.
1988 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
The cleanest wine of the night thus far, though also showing the least character. A bit brooding and holding its cards close to the vest. Theres pleasant black fruit, spice, leather and earth, but the wine is rather lifeless. A nice drink, but it left me thinking about the wines that were coming up. Solid B+.
Flight IV:
1989 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
This doesnt appear to have been one of the leakers. Fill level was good and while there was some schmutz on the top of the cork, there was no signs of any seepage on the neck at all. One of the most effusive noses of the night. Rich n roasted red fruit that had a candied quality to it. Ive heard people report on Brett levels in this wine, but I find it to be quite clean. Certainly the wines from the early-mid 80s showed a lot more Brett, as does the 90. Opulent and mouthfilling with delectable fruit that tends to obscure the tannins. A slight touch of heat on the finish, but nothing to fret over. A wine that lives up to the hype. A.
1990 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
The more I have this wine, the more I feel this is my favorite Beaucastel, though the 98 may give it a run for its money. Its a denser, blacker and more tightly coiled wine than the 89 with a more interesting personality due to its strong barnyard character. Theres great depth here and while the black fruit is rich, it doesnt cry out for attention, but shares the stage with a strong garrigue element, as well as all the animals on the farm. Well balanced and showing younger than a bottle tried several months ago. Gorgeous wine. Solid A.
Flight V:
1994 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape (from Magnum)
Theres a bit of a lactic/cheese note on the nose, with a good dose of Brett, black fruit and garrigue. On the palate, fairly tight, though theres nice amounts of black fruit and spice present. Shows a lot of garrigue character, more so than most of the wines tasted tonight. However, the wine doesnt carry a lot of weight on the palate and theres a noticeable lack of depth. As its from a magnum, Id bet the wine will fill out. Low A-.
1995 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Initially this wine was completely shut down. However, I had an extra glass so I just let it sit in it while I continued with the rest of the tasting and by the end of the evening, the wine was just beginning to open up. Shows delicious roasted red fruit and spice. Firmly tannic and a rather muscular wine. Lots of potential here. Let them lie. A.
Flight VI:
1996 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Weeds and white pepper dominate the nose. Open and accessible on the palate, but its a pretty weak wine. Some light red fruit and spice, but theres too much of an herbal character to the wine for me to really enjoy. Its a light weight wine with drying tannins. Going nowhere but down. B/B-.
1997 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Buttered popcorn on the nose and while thats not a good thing, thats the best thing I can say about this wine. Its absolutely horrid on the palate. Thin, weedy and it simply attacks your mouth. C-.
Flight VII:
1998 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
The richest wine of the flight, just a touch more endowed than the 00. A decadently unctuous mouthfeel. Theres gobby, ultra-ripe black fruit with a roasted quality to it, spice and meat. It possesses a formidable tannin structure, but theres tons of fruit to compensate. Realtively low acid and full of glycerin, it shows very primary right now and is in the final stages of shutting down. Give it time to develop an interesting personality. A classic in the making. Solid A.
1999 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Young and grapy, while not as well endowed as the 98 and 00, theres a nice purity of fruit here with a nice earth component. Fairly simple, though, with a hint of austerity. Theres pretty black fruit here with light garrigue and meat. Elegant and quite enjoyable. Low A-.
2000 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Think of this as a toned down 98. Its a sweet, sappy and low acid Chteauneuf thats bursting with black fruit and spice character. Doesnt quite have the same depth or hedonistic quality of the 98, but its fairly close. Great potential here. A/A-.
Got together last night with nine other local Chteauneuf-du-Pape aficionados for a rather extensive Beaucastel tasting. Seventeen vintages spanning all of the major highlights from 72 to the just released 00.
Like all of the great wines out there, Beaucastel shows a clear and repetitive characteristic in its wines, though there was an obvious change starting with the 95 when the wines lost the Brett character that the estate was famous for and became cleaner, more fruit-driven wines. Some folks have a higher tolerance for Brett than others and for those of us that like a bit of funk in our wines, theres perhaps a little sadness in its passing. That said, the cleaner wines are superb.
This truly was a fun tasting, though perhaps a bit laborious as there were a lot of wines and were not talking about prima ballerinas here. Still, I believe we all went home very happy.
Notes are in order tasted.
Brad
1989 Domaine du Closel- Savennires, Clos Papillon
A deep yellow with a reticent nose at first, but after leaving it alone for an hour or two in the glass, it opened nicely to reveal honey, quince, Savennires earthiness and a nice nutty note. Bone dry, but rich and well-balanced on the palate. The fruit is quite ripe, but does not have the overripe character the 90 has. Like flavors as aromas and showing quite young. Love it. Solid A-.
2001 Joh. Hos. Christoffel- Riesling Kabinett, Erdener Treppchen, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Quite pale in color with an intriguing nose of ripe stone fruits, mineral and a distinct jalepeno pepper note. Ripe and full on the palate with similar flavors as aromas, with a wide mineral streak. Fans of traditional Kabinetts may be a little let-down with this wine and the 2001 Kabinetts in general due to their ripeness, but this is lovely stuff. Low A-.
Flight I
1972 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
An aromatic nose of earth, leather, brown roots and aged cherry fruit. Showing its age on the palate as theres precious little fruit left and the wine dries up on the finish. Somewhat like a traditional Rioja with a strong, old wood and citrus characteristic along with a strong tertiary element. Has some interesting merits, but drink up quickly. B-.
1978 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
A dark, somewhat brooding nose that shows rich, roasted fruit, sweet spice and earthy notes. Perhaps not a pristine bottle, it was purchased recently and shipped cross country, as while there was a nice upfront burst of fruit, the wine showed real signs of drying out. Enjoyable cherry, cedar, leather and mushroom flavors, but the spiky acidity, combined with the drying aspect, detracts from the experience. A bit austere on the finish. B+/B.
1979 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Shows an interesting Vietnamese fish sauce component on the nose with black fruit, spice and resin. Shows the best freshness and fruit in this flight, though the wine is a bit hollow. Theres a core of sweet cherry here that is very enjoyable, but the wine really thins out in the middle. Fully resolved with the acidity keeping the wine alive. B+.
Flight II:
1981 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
The most muted nose of this flight, though theres a nice dose of Brett, menthol, spice and red fruit. Complex and showing great depth on the palate. Its an integrated tapestry of sweet cherries and raspberries, spicy cedar and earth and a hit of barnyard. Turns a touch lean, but is very enjoyable. Solid A-.
1983 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Quite similar in profile to the 81 in terms of the fruit, spice and animal flavors and aromas, though theres less Brett here and a touch of alcohol showing on the nose and palate. While certainly leaner and not as well integrated as the 81, theres an appealing liqueur-like quality to the raspberry and cherry fruit. A-/B+.
1985 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
A very different animal than either the 81 or 83. Its a simpler, more resolved and plumper wine than the 81 and 83. Plenty of rich black fruit and sweet spices to go around. Lots of puppy fat here. A rich, easy going mouthfeel. Fairly low acid with soft tannins. Solid A-.
Flight III:
1986 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Perhaps the most pungent wine of the night as ones greeted with broken sewage pipe aromas with some decaying leaves. However, on the palate the wine is showing a lot more vigor and balance than I recall this wine having in the past. Ive always found it a hard, lean and austere wine and while this bottle certainly has that aspect, theres a good dose of cherry fruit thats keeping the wine fairly well-balanced. Theres a bit of poop and spice along with some underbrush and wet, dead leaves on the finish. A better showing than I expected. Solid B+.
1988 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
The cleanest wine of the night thus far, though also showing the least character. A bit brooding and holding its cards close to the vest. Theres pleasant black fruit, spice, leather and earth, but the wine is rather lifeless. A nice drink, but it left me thinking about the wines that were coming up. Solid B+.
Flight IV:
1989 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
This doesnt appear to have been one of the leakers. Fill level was good and while there was some schmutz on the top of the cork, there was no signs of any seepage on the neck at all. One of the most effusive noses of the night. Rich n roasted red fruit that had a candied quality to it. Ive heard people report on Brett levels in this wine, but I find it to be quite clean. Certainly the wines from the early-mid 80s showed a lot more Brett, as does the 90. Opulent and mouthfilling with delectable fruit that tends to obscure the tannins. A slight touch of heat on the finish, but nothing to fret over. A wine that lives up to the hype. A.
1990 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
The more I have this wine, the more I feel this is my favorite Beaucastel, though the 98 may give it a run for its money. Its a denser, blacker and more tightly coiled wine than the 89 with a more interesting personality due to its strong barnyard character. Theres great depth here and while the black fruit is rich, it doesnt cry out for attention, but shares the stage with a strong garrigue element, as well as all the animals on the farm. Well balanced and showing younger than a bottle tried several months ago. Gorgeous wine. Solid A.
Flight V:
1994 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape (from Magnum)
Theres a bit of a lactic/cheese note on the nose, with a good dose of Brett, black fruit and garrigue. On the palate, fairly tight, though theres nice amounts of black fruit and spice present. Shows a lot of garrigue character, more so than most of the wines tasted tonight. However, the wine doesnt carry a lot of weight on the palate and theres a noticeable lack of depth. As its from a magnum, Id bet the wine will fill out. Low A-.
1995 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Initially this wine was completely shut down. However, I had an extra glass so I just let it sit in it while I continued with the rest of the tasting and by the end of the evening, the wine was just beginning to open up. Shows delicious roasted red fruit and spice. Firmly tannic and a rather muscular wine. Lots of potential here. Let them lie. A.
Flight VI:
1996 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Weeds and white pepper dominate the nose. Open and accessible on the palate, but its a pretty weak wine. Some light red fruit and spice, but theres too much of an herbal character to the wine for me to really enjoy. Its a light weight wine with drying tannins. Going nowhere but down. B/B-.
1997 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Buttered popcorn on the nose and while thats not a good thing, thats the best thing I can say about this wine. Its absolutely horrid on the palate. Thin, weedy and it simply attacks your mouth. C-.
Flight VII:
1998 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
The richest wine of the flight, just a touch more endowed than the 00. A decadently unctuous mouthfeel. Theres gobby, ultra-ripe black fruit with a roasted quality to it, spice and meat. It possesses a formidable tannin structure, but theres tons of fruit to compensate. Realtively low acid and full of glycerin, it shows very primary right now and is in the final stages of shutting down. Give it time to develop an interesting personality. A classic in the making. Solid A.
1999 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Young and grapy, while not as well endowed as the 98 and 00, theres a nice purity of fruit here with a nice earth component. Fairly simple, though, with a hint of austerity. Theres pretty black fruit here with light garrigue and meat. Elegant and quite enjoyable. Low A-.
2000 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Think of this as a toned down 98. Its a sweet, sappy and low acid Chteauneuf thats bursting with black fruit and spice character. Doesnt quite have the same depth or hedonistic quality of the 98, but its fairly close. Great potential here. A/A-.