1981 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
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Tasting notes
The infamous 1981 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château de Beaucastel is certainly not the most bretty example that I have encountered, maybe just a little tired on the nose compared to the 1978 Télégraphe. The palate is much better with roasted chestnut and game infusing the leather black fruit and displaying tremendous depth on the finish. Bottles do vary from one to the other, hence the question mark against my score.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
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Magnum. Shaded ruby colour. Both very sweet and very fresh – pure pleasure! There's something diffuse about the impact of this hedonistic wine. (JR)
The 1981 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château de Beaucastel is famed for its brettanomyces, though I discerned it being less apparent on this bottle than others. Singed leather, hung game and black pepper unfolds on the attractive nose, then a scent of an old pair of plimsols that you forgot to throw away a few years ago. The palate is plump with some VA, yet somehow balanced with a liquorice tinged finish. It’s a wine that has always worn its faults with pride, and you cannot help but fall for its charms.
One of the all-time great classics, the 1981 is fully mature and should be consumed. It’s a big, sweet, candied fruit bomb offering notes of smoke, pepper, dried herbs, truffles, leather, cedar, as well as black and red currants. Full-bodied and opulent, it is one of the most delicious, complex, and stunning Beaucastels ever made. Anyone who has magnums of this wine has the equivalent of liquid gold. Out of regular bottle, I would recommend consumption over the next several years. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
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.