Exceptional climatic conditions made the 2009 Beaucastel Red a great wine from a beautiful vintage.
Presentation
Presentation
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.
The vintage
The 2009 vintage can be described as a wine with good structure and soft tannins. The wine is balanced and has great acidity despite the high temperatures in August. This wine has characteristics of great vintages such as 2005 and 2007, with great ageing potential.
Location
Châteauneuf du Pape, between Orange and Avignon, Château de Beaucastel red is a
70-hectare vineyard.
70-hectare vineyard.
Terroir
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.
Beaucastel grows all thirteen grape varieties authorized by the appellation.
Beaucastel grows all thirteen grape varieties authorized by the appellation.
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.
Varietals
Grenache : 30%
Mourvèdre : 30%
Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne : 15%
Counoise : 10%
Syrah : 10%
Cinsault : 5%
Mourvèdre : 30%
Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne : 15%
Counoise : 10%
Syrah : 10%
Cinsault : 5%
Advice
Serving
Around 15°C. If possible, decant the wine.
Tasting
Nearly black in colour.
The nose is very delicate and powerful at the same time, with red fruit, blackcurrants, blackberries, spices, thyme and lavender.
The bouquet is very elegant, rich and round, with figs, cherries, blackcurrants and stewed fruit, all with great acidity. The tannins are present but very delicate.
The nose is very delicate and powerful at the same time, with red fruit, blackcurrants, blackberries, spices, thyme and lavender.
The bouquet is very elegant, rich and round, with figs, cherries, blackcurrants and stewed fruit, all with great acidity. The tannins are present but very delicate.
Recipes
Veal and Red Raddish
Reviews
"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."
"The result is a luscious, generous bowl of plums, blackcurrants, liquorice and fruitcake flavours. It has settled gently, the palate being soft, svelte and curvy, all wrapped up in silky tannins."
"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."
"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."
"One of the more endowed 2009s, this is packed with dark smoldering cocoa, mesquite, tobacco and roasted fig notes, all inlaid with pure cassis and plum preserves fruit flavors. Long and authoritative on the finish, with singed vanilla bean and tar adding length and dimension."
"This wine is a blend of 30% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache , 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, 5% Cinsault and the rest a blend of Vaccarese, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, and Roussanne. There is lovely brambly fruit on the nose tilting towards blue fruit flavors. In the mouth there are lots of up-front softness (not flabby) before a seductive, racy quality (Licorice/Kirsch perhaps) comes out which persists all the way through the long aftertaste. There are dark ripe flavors in the middle with lovely tannins and a stellar aftertaste. I imagine this will drink earlier than the 2010. A beautiful and very good wine. Very approachable right now this is hard to resist drinking but should be amazing once mature."
"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."
"Gilt-edged and always worth picking up on faith, this is a dazzling expression of one of the iconic wines of the world. Cedar, sprigs of herbs, graphite and black currant on the nose, there’s a mélange of concentrated, complex flavours on the palate with cassis, briary berry, spice-laden black plum and juicy, tangy, black Bing cherry to the fore. It’s rich, luscious and full-bodied with deft balance, well-integrated oak, perceptible tannin and a lingering delectable aftertaste."
"A solar vintage that is still very young and needs more years to age. Now the wine is balanced, powerful and shows great freshness. This vintage has great potential in the years to come. "
"Marc Perrin presents the Beaucastel 2009 at the Wine Spectator Wine Experience seminar." [+]
"Beaucastel is one of the top properties in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Year after
year, they produce a multidimensional, age-worthy wine. Although Mourvèdre and Grenache, at about 30% each, comprise the majority of the blend, Beaucastel uses all 13 grape varieties permitted in the appellation, which may explain the phenomenal complexity of their wines, especially the 2009. Their 2009 combines exotic earthy nuances with ripe red and black fruit flavors without being overdone, alcoholic or heavy. It’s remarkable for its power coupled with refinement and freshness. New flavors emerge with each sip and after 30 minutes it’s as though you are tasting an entirely different wine. Though seductive and engaging now, my experience with Beaucastel tells me it will evolve beautifully over the next two decades. Lovers of châteauneuf-du-Pape in general or Beaucastel in particular will want this one in their cellars."
year, they produce a multidimensional, age-worthy wine. Although Mourvèdre and Grenache, at about 30% each, comprise the majority of the blend, Beaucastel uses all 13 grape varieties permitted in the appellation, which may explain the phenomenal complexity of their wines, especially the 2009. Their 2009 combines exotic earthy nuances with ripe red and black fruit flavors without being overdone, alcoholic or heavy. It’s remarkable for its power coupled with refinement and freshness. New flavors emerge with each sip and after 30 minutes it’s as though you are tasting an entirely different wine. Though seductive and engaging now, my experience with Beaucastel tells me it will evolve beautifully over the next two decades. Lovers of châteauneuf-du-Pape in general or Beaucastel in particular will want this one in their cellars."
"This vintage has is very bright ruby in appearance. A beautiful wine with power, intense aromas of black fruit and chocolate. A vibrant wine with great balance. It is a solar wine worth waiting for."
"The 2009 vintage signs a great year. Beautiful deep black colour, a mature nose fine and complex nose, this wine explodes on the palate with aromas of spices and liquorice and soft, silky tannins."
"A very warm year, this has extremely expressive grenache fruits, raspberry, some honey and a lith juicy core. There’s a late creeping wave of smooth tannins. Darker plum fruits exude power through the finish. Stunning wine from a very ripe vintage."
"Great harmony in this vintage: the tannins are ample and silky. With an incredible finesse, this wine can be aged for a long time or can give a lot of pleasure today."
