Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 1986

Presentation

Presentation
Château de Beaucastel has long been considered one of the great wines of France. It is unanimously renowned for its balance, elegance and ageing potential. Beaucastel has an extraordinary terroir at the Northern end of the appellation with heavy exposure to the Mistral. All 13 varieties of the appellation have been organically grown here since the sixties.
The vintage
A great vintage,
Beautiful but cold weather during the harvest.
Location
Châteauneuf du Pape, between Orange and Avignon, Château de Beaucastel red is a 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 authorised by the appellation.
Ageing
Each variety is harvested manually and separately. Vinification is completed in truncated oak barrels for the reductive grapes (Mourvèdre and Syrah) and in traditional tiled cement tanks for the oxidative grapes (such as Grenache). After the malolactic fermentations, the family blends the different varieties and then the wine ages in oak Foudres for a year before being bottled.
Varietals
Grenache : 30%
Mourvèdre : 30%
Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne : 15%
Syrah : 10%
Counoise : 10%
Cinsault : 5%

Advice

Serving
15°C and if possible decant before serving.
Tasting
Tile red colour.
Attractive nose revealing red fruits, leather and bees wax.
The mouth is rich and supple at the same time. A wonderful finesse with lots of freshness and notes of Tobacco. The tannins give this wine a fantastic harmony.

A very elegant wine at this stage that can be drunk now. Decant before serving.

Reviews

91/100
"Super refined, with all the fruit and character you could want in a Châteauneuf. Has game, cigar tobacco and berry aromas and black pepper and smoke flavors, with velvety tannins and a firm backbone.--Châteauneuf-du-Pape retrospective. Best from 1994 through 1996"
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