Moving to the Chateau De Beaucastel releases, the 2012 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel Blanc comes from a cool, windswept vineyard located just to the north of Beaucastel. A blend of close to equal parts Bourboulenc, Marsanne and Viognier, with a splash of Clairette, that’s aged partially in stainless steel and partially in barrel, it offers up a pretty, fresh array of white peach and stone fruits, white flower and hints of minerality. This gives way to a medium-bodied, supple and delicious effort that will drink nicely for 3-4 years, if not longer. Drink now-2017.
Covering a full 175 acres in Chateauneuf du Pape, with significant holdings throughout the Southern Rhone (mostly vinified at and released under their Famille Perrin brand), Chateau De Beaucastel is a benchmark estate that excels at all price points. Looking at the wines reviewed here, 2011 is surprisingly strong (especially for the Chateauneufs) and with their perfumed aromatics and supple textures, they show a lot of similarities to the 2009s. The 2012s as a whole show more freshness and purity, with good concentration, and should require more bottle age to come around. Both vintages are worth seeking out. Looking at the 2011s across the board, all of which were in bottle, it appears to be a strong vintage here. While the vintage suffered due to uneven ripening in the Grenache, it was actually a solid vintage for Mourvedre and this shows, particularly in the Chateauneufs.
Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
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