2006 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
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Tasting notes
The 2006 Beaucastel shows the textbook character of a mature Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It has expansive raspberry and cherry scents with suggestions of succulent herbs, pungent flowers, cigar box and just a hint of earth. Given the high percentage of Mourvèdre (almost a third of the blend), I would have thought that the earthy aspect would have been more pronounced, but that is not the case here. The 2006 is silky in texture, and the suave blend of depth and energy highlights its red fruit along with floral pastille and baking spice flavors. It finishes extremely long and precise, with superb clarity and just a hint of finely polished tannins adding gentle grip. Beaucastel often shows some gamy character when the wines are young; however, the 2006 did not in barrel nor after it was bottled, and there’s no trace of it now. I noted almost twelve years ago that this was a wine that “beguiles rather than brutalizes”, and I’m happy with that assessment today. Readers lucky enough to have bought the 2006 Beaucastel on release got great value compared to the where bottles that just arrived on the market are priced today, yet the 2006 is actually quite fairly priced for a 15-year-old, world-class wine that comes direct from the winery’s cellars.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Very attractive overripe fruit aroma with a touch of compost and farmyard – yet not overtly bretty or funky. Balanced, rounded, succulent and finely balanced – this is a great example of the style in the prime of its life, full of fruit but showing tertiary development too. (RH)
Mid to pale crimson. Sweet and flirtatious. Transparent. Doesn’t taste 14.5% at all! There is fesh acidity here and a certain meat-and-two-veg quality. You could enjoy it already although I’d be inclined to wait for more aromatic complexity to develop. (JR)
About the producer
This Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate is one of the Rhône’s most famous addresses. With a history stretching back to the 16th century, Beaucastel remains family owned and run, with the fifth generation of the Perrin family – Marc, Pierre, Thomas, Cécile, Charles, Matthieu and César – at the helm today.