Château
de Beaucastel vertical tasting, 1985-2002
Château
de Beaucastel has featured
on this site before. It is one of the leading properties in Châteauneuf
du Pape, with a track record of making ageworthy, complex wines
with a higher-than-normal proportion of Mourvèdre in the blend.
This was a rare opportunity to taste an extensive line-up of
Beaucastels reaching back to 1985. We began with the Coudoulet
2002 simply because no Beaucastel Châteauneuf du Pape was made in
this vintage, a very tricky one in the region. Coudoulet is made
from a 30 ha plot on the eastern flank of the Beaucastel estate,
within the Côtes du Rhône appellation. It’s a blend of 30%
Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Cinsault and 20% Syrah. The geology
is the same as their Châteauneuf du Pape vineyard. The different
varieties are handled separately and blended after malolactic,
then the wine is aged in large foudres before bottling.
The
red Châteauneuf du Pape comes from a 70 ha vineyard. All 13
authorised varieties are planted. The blend is typically 30% Mourvèdre
(this is atypically high for Châteauneuf), 30% Grenache, 10%
Syrah, 10% Counoise, 5% Cinsault and 15% the rest (Vaccarèse,
Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardin, Bourboulenc
and Roussanne – yes, some of these are white). Varieties are
handled separately, blended after malolactic, and then spend a
year in large foudres. Grapes for both Coudoulet and the Châteauneuf
du Pape both go through the Perrin’s rather unusual flash
heating process before crushing. This denatures the polyphenol
oxidase enzymes (known in
France
as
‘laccase’, these are enzymes that have the potential to
oxidise the wine) thus permitting lower sulphur dioxide levels to
be used in the winemaking.
Some
points worth noting. One release, Beaucastel 2000 and 2001 have
both been exotic, sweet and quite rich, with masses of fruit.
Interestingly, while the 2001 still shows this way, the 2000 has
shed this initial showiness and is much more savoury. These are
wines that invariably age very well, so this sort of change is
perhaps to be expected. If you like the lush, rich fruit, then I
suppose you could drink them in the first couple of years of their
life. It’s not a sin. If, like most, you prefer the more
complex, savoury characters, leave them to age. In good vintages
these are very long-lived wines.
Vintage
variation: there’s quite a bit of this with Beaucastel, but this
isn’t primarily in terms of quality, rather personality. Each
vintage has its own distinctive personality. That’s part of the
fun of this wine.
Pierre
Perrin says that there has been a change of attitude since the
1998 vintage, and now the policy is to harvest everything at
phenolic maturity, not looking to achieve balance with the
harvesting. If the grapes seem to ripe to make a balanced wine,
then so be it: the policy is to achieve balance with the
assemblage of the wine.
2003
looks to be a very good vintage. You can read about a tasting of
the 2003 components here,
and a vertical of the top wine, Hommage à Jacques Perrin here.
Coudoulet
de Beaucastel 2002 Côtes du Rhône
Deep coloured. Savoury with a firm, spicy palate. Good
acidity. Correct and nicely savoury, but a little charmless at the
moment? Still, a good effort from a disastrous vintage. Very good+
87/100
Château
de Beaucastel 2001 Châteauneuf du Pape
This is extremely seductive and forward at the moment, and
promises to be a very fine vintage indeed for Beaucastel. Lovely
sweet, pure raspberry fruit nose is quite exotic, with some herbal
notes. The palate is sweet, herby and wild with lovely fruit and
some smooth, spicy tannins. Very good/excellent 94/100
Château de Beaucastel 2000 Châteauneuf du Pape
This is quite perfumed: the nose is savoury and dense with
some earthy notes. Lively, rounded, herby palate is extremely
savoury and spicy. Structured with good acid and firm tannins.
This has lost its initial fat but will probably develop into a
very interesting wine: all the components are there. Lose it in
the cellar for a decade? Very good/excellent 93/100
Château de Beaucastel 1999 Châteauneuf du Pape
Intensely savoury nose is very spicy and leathery, with a dry,
dusty herbal element. The palate is firm and tannic, with a
savoury spicy character and mouth-coating tannins. Needs time, but
this has never been a terribly rich, fat wine. Very good/excellent
91/100
Château
de Beaucastel 1998 Châteauneuf du Pape
Slightly closed nose showing some sweet herby fruit. The
palate is open and herby with lovely spicy, chunky fruit and firm
tannins. Not showing brilliantly at the moment, so if you have any
I’d keep them for a good few years yet before opening. Very
good/excellent 92/100
Château de Beaucastel 1997 Châteauneuf du Pape
Slightly faded colour. Earthy, spicy nose. The palate is chewy
and spicy, showing some evolution and a distinctive herbal
character to the fruit. Drinking well now, this is a lighter
style. Very good+ 89/100
Château
de Beaucastel 1995 Châteauneuf du Pape
Nice open evolved, herby, spicy nose with some leathery,
earthy notes. The palate is open, chewy, savoury and spicy. Quite
evolved and beginning to hit its stride. Very good/excellent
92/100
Château de Beaucastel 1990 Châteauneuf
du Pape
A classic. Wonderfully perfumed open nose shows exotic spices
and some animal notes with medicinal overtones. It’s bretty but
it works. There’s a real sweetness to it. The palate shows a
lovely sweet character with lively herb and tea notes. Very
evolved and probably peaking now, although it will likely remain
at peak for several years. Excellent 95/100
Château
de Beaucastel 1989 Châteauneuf du Pape
Evolved nose showing sweet herbs and spices together with
distinct leathery notes. The palate is soft, rounded and gently
herby with a smooth savoury character. A powerful style that is
drinking well now, but which may still put on more complexity.
Very good/excellent 93/100
Château de Beaucastel 1988 Châteauneuf du Pape
Open yet firm savoury nose with an appealing herbal character.
The palate is evolved, herbal and savoury. Leathery with good
structure and acidity. This is a tasty savoury style but I’d be
inclined to drink it up fairly soon. Others will disagree and
stick it away for another decade. Very good/excellent 91/100
Château de Beaucastel 1985 Châteauneuf du Pape
Striking nose is very evolved with sweet, animally notes. The
palate is rounded and herby with a chewy, spicy finish. It’s
structured and evolved, and is perfect for current drinking. Very
good/excellent 91/100
Wines
tasted March 2004
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