2012 Chateau Beaucastel Rouge (750ml)

Grenache from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France

B-21 Top Recommendation
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B-21 customers are no strangers to the Rhone Valley's most important estate. The Perrin Family at Chateau Beaucastel produces one stunning cuvee after another, vintage in, vintage out. Never content with the status quo, they continue pushing that envelope, too. My visit with them last year revealed stunning wines from Gigondas and Vinsobres, proving once again their rightful place atop the Valley's hierarchy. But we all know it's their Chateauneuf rouge and old vine Roussanne cuvee that gets the juices flowing. Wine Advocate's Jeb Dunnuck crowned the 2012 a huge success, saying it's "What I think might end up being the best Beaucastel since the 1990 or 2001..." Parker has dubbed previous releases of the Rouge "illustrious," with its high percentage of Mourvedre – a contrarian of a CdP if ever there was one. And it's precisely this reliance upon the ever-fickle Mourvedre which impresses me even more for 2012. This was the one varietal which required immense attention in the Southern Rhone, and yet the Perrins managed to produce what many – yours truly included – consider the top wines of vintage and region. Now in stock, this is one Beaucastel that's built to thrill.

96WA

95WS

94W&S

What I think might end up being the best Beaucastel since the 1990 or 2001, the 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape offers a full-bodied, decadent style to go with awesome black and blue fruits, garrigue, licorice, crushed flowers and violets. The purity here is truly something, and it has fabulous mid-palate concentration, building tannin and massive texture. Given all of the fruit and texture here, it will no doubt drink well in its youth, but it should still be alive and kicking after two decades as well.

96 points, Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate (Issue # 215 - Oct 2014)

Warm raspberry and boysenberry confiture aromas and flavors are dominant in this lush, inviting style, but there's plenty of dried star anise, bay leaf, licorice root, worn leather and roasted juniper notes to fill out the chorus. The finish turns youthfully grippy, with a tarry edge holding sway and adding serious length. Try now, but cellar for maximum effect. Best from 2018 through 2030. 8,350 cases made, 6,000 cases imported.

95 points, James Molesworth, Wine Spectator (Nov 2015)

Maybe it is this estate’s position in the cooler north of the appellation, or maybe it’s the age of the vines, organically grown for half a century, that helped them weather August’s heat wave. Whatever it was, this is an exceptional 2012, a vast expanse of rich, spicy flavor, dark and full but never heavy. The juicy black raspberry flavor is more vehicle than main event, conveying a wealth of earth, stone and herbal detail. It lasts with brightness and energy, balanced to age another 10 or 15 years in the cellar.

94 points, Wine & Spirits (Feb 2016)

Alcohol By Volume: 14.5%

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$89.99

44 bottles in stock. Ships in 1 to 2 business days.