Yeah, I moved on from Beaucastel reds some years back though I’ve always enjoyed their Blanc Roussanne Vieille Vignes
Papes has always been a winner for me, and also Donjon. The later being a great value.
Normally, a 19 or 20 year old Beaucastel has entered its height. This wine’s tannins were resolved and its flavors were mature. And, again, it was a good wine and I have no trouble understanding positive notes about it. But no, I do not think it will transform into a Beaucastel from the 80s or 90s. I don’t really see how it could. I remember a lot of complaints in those years about brett and responses that it was really the mourvedre. The post 00 wines (I have heard that clean up occurred in 98, but I find the 99 still to be the kind of Beaucastel I liked) show that it was really the brett. There are surely brett averse who prefer the cleaned up version. But, whether you prefer the older or the newer style, I don’t see how the newer style can age into the older one. I remember 20 year old Beaucastels even from ostensibly off vintages like 86 with an animale quality and also what one of the tour hosts there called upside down fruit cake and I don’t see this wine getting like that.
Mmmm. O.k… Thanks for expanding on that. Sometime within the past few years, a fellow Berserker shared a 1990 mag at a small gathering — it was jaw-dropping, and I’ve been hoping both (or either) of the vintages I’m holding ('04; '05) will eventually turn into something like that. Sounds like you’re very pessimistic, and for well-considered reasons. FWIW, the last time I had the '04 it showed quite poorly (granted, it was in 2012, so I gave it a pass).
I don’t think anything will turn into the 90. Along with 89 and 81, it is an apex Beau. If any vintage would, it would be the 01 and I just don’t see it. I have liked 04 generally and Beau needs 10 years for its first plateau and 20 years for its second, so there is good reason to think it is now a nice wine and will improve. But, no, I don’t see being the 90 in its future.
It occurs to me to add that, while the 90, 89 or 81, if you could find them at auction, might cost enough to force you to sell your first born into slavery, the 94 is a very good example of what old Beau was like and will be much more affordable. 94 is surely one of the most underrated vintages in CdP and the 94 Beau was a very nice bottle of wine with the complexities that old Beaucastel funk displayed. My only proviso is that I drank my last bottle 5 years ago and I don’t know if it will be a 30 year wine, though I would not be surprised.
Interesting how individual tastes can vary. I love Beaucastel as much as Clos du Papes, but swear I will never buy another bottle of Pegau. I also find Vieux Telegraphe and Charvin hard to resist! Pretty much everything else is hot or miss for me.
LOL! Pegau is really the only CdP producer I even consider purchasing anymore. Kinda funny to look at my CdP purchase history — for a time there, it was our favorite appellation.
Year Purchased (not Vintage)
2017 Bottles purchased (1) (2005 Rayas at a price to good to pass on)
2016 Bottles purchased (2) (2014 Pegau)
2014 Bottles purchased (2)
2013 Bottles purchased (5)
2012 Bottles purchased (8)
2011 Bottles purchased (22)
2010 Bottles purchased (25)
2009 Bottles purchased (30)
2008 Bottles purchased (24)
2007 Bottles purchased (28)
2006 Bottles purchased (1)
We’ve been drinking these down over the past couple years; for the most part, I’ve found myself wishing I could have been a Psychic back when I made these purchases. But, every once in awhile, we have a CdP that reminds us of why we were once in love with those wines.
Just bought the 94 at auction. Definitely fully mature and in a great place. Less well stored bottles could be on the decline. It’s too bad you can’t get CdP/Beaucastel like this anymore.
For me…
Pegau all fuqn day over Beaucastel…not even a discussion. Beaucastel is pedestrian juice…JMO
As we’ve discussed, I have very little CNdP in the cellar. When I purged, I did keep my last couple bottles of ‘99 Beaucastel but not the ‘01, which was the last I bought. I echo the notion the wines became somewhat boring despite a price jump in the US between 1995 and 2001 that I couldn’t understand given the alternative wines available. (Jonathan, I know you buy in France when you are there so price may not have been a factor for you.)
Last time I had the ‘99, a few years ago, it wasn’t quite ready, but maybe now. (I think I brought my last bottle of 1994 to dinner with you a couple years back and it was in a nice spot.)
Well, since I don’t buy Beaucastel, I don’t buy it in France, In the 90s, when I might have, they didn’t encourage it and the price was not much different. Since they no longer give tours at the domaine and have a shopfront in town to sell from, things might have changed. Really, each domaine is different in terms of whether it is less expensive than here, whether they want to sell wine from the domaine or not, etc., etc.