A blend of 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 10% Cinsault, the 2022 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel exhales a delicate, perfumed bouquet of black cherries, spices, violets and spring flowers. It’s medium to full-bodied, enveloping and layered with a juicy core of fruit, a tense mid-palate and a fresh, ethereal finish. This is a consistent wine and a solid value. Beaucastel is renowned for producing some of the most long-lived red wines in Southern Rhône. But beyond their remarkable longevity, the wines from Château de Beaucastel are distinguished by their elegance and finesse as they mature. These traits persist, despite the deep structure and concentration for which they are known. Since the end of the tenure of Jacques Perrin (he passed away in 1978), the estate has strictly adhered to organic farming methods, avoiding the use of chemicals on its extensive 110 hectares in the northernmost part of the appellation. Jacques’s sons, François and Jean-Pierre, have faithfully upheld their father’s philosophy: wine must be made naturally, Mourvèdre must be a significant component of the blend and the wine’s character and intrinsic qualities must not be compromised by modern technological interventions. The new winery that the family is constructing embodies this philosophy in a modern context.

Ripe raspberry, pressed violets, licorice and dried herbs compose the multifaceted aromatic profile of the 2022 Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel. Shaped gently by soft tannins, this refined red contains solid substance and caps off with persistence on the classic finish. Give it another two years to start revealing its full potential.

Spicy herbs, ground pepper, leather, and spicy red and black fruits define the 2022 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel, a medium-bodied, elegant, complex red that should age nicely for 8-10 years, if not longer. I certainly see no need to delay gratification, though.