Coudoulet de Beaucastel - SO not Beaucastel...

So tonight, after spending the day packing up the house, my daughter and I went big and got a Costco ‘meat lovers’ pizza. 10 bucks to feed 6 people, or so it would seem.

I cracked an '05 Coudoulet de Beaucastel, as I figured I’d need something European to go with pizza, with some acid and low alcohol [stirthepothal.gif]

Well, Beaucastel it is not, but for $18, it’s a really fantastic food wine. I’m without food now, and it’s a bit too ‘grapey’ for my preferences, and in fact, I wonder how it is Beaucastel at all, as I sure wouldn’t guess 2nd label Beau blind. Nonetheless, the finish is very much filled with Grenache goodness, and is very clean. While the ‘grapey-ness’ is not attractive, it has a nice mouthfeel and the aforementioned finish is quite enjoyable, so it is well worth the money paid. Beaucastel it is not, however…

that’s why they call it Coudoulet de Beaucastel 'cuz it’s not Beaucastel! It’s a CdR not a CnP. Does that help?

BTW I’m a huge Coudoulet de Beaucastel fan

It’s great for the price, that’s for sure!

I expect this to continue to improve. Examples from my stash have become better, much more interesting since release. I just checked: I’ve got only 2 left out of a case. I should’ve kept my hands off them. But at $18 that’s easier said than done.

considering I just paid $23 and change for the 2009, yes! I remember paying $18 for the 1997. Bought a case of the 2001 from Binny’s on closeout for 15.99 and have a bunch left but my wife is not a fan so I’ll be drinking it slowly over time… My case of the 2007 was around 20 or 25???

This was my last of three - I think you are safe letting them sit. I have an '06 I’ll let rest…

I have not opened any yet, but I paid $24 for the 07 in 2010; non-pro wine-searcher shows it starting at 29 now. The 09 looks to be in the $24-30 range.

There goes the ‘tremendous value’ aspect…

We got a store in MPLS, name starts with Z, that had the 07 for $45. No kidding.

You know, Todd, a good '07 Stefania would have paired nicely with your meatzza. [stirthepothal.gif]

I used to cellar Coudoulet and my experience was that it reached a nice spot about 10 years out from the vintage, with a fairly Burgundian character. The 1985 and 1988 were really good at age 10-15. I held a 1994 until last year and it was pleasant but not really great. I expect some of the recent vintages should do better but I haven’t tasted them. I think you must have found a great deal on that wine - I thought it had been over $20 for longer.

Dammit! Why didn’t you tell me before I ate it??

Well come on… tons of meat and a good cab? I can’t hold your hand all of the time.

Yeah but careful shopping… I paid under $19 each for a half case of '09 Coudoulet. As the price of CdP has skyrocketed these look like more and more a bargain. They’ve always been a favorite of mine, nowadays even more so than the big brother, as I don’t mind popping one for no reason at all.

I checked the Karis book to confirm, the Beaucastel estate is bisected by route N7, north of which is CdR and south is CdP, so it’s difficult to say why the family resemblance doesn’t show through. It’s pretty much the same vineyard, except maybe yields are different, and Coudoulet contains declassified barrels as well. Maybe someone more in the know can shed some light.

Coincidentally, I opened a Coudoulet 2004 last night also with pizza. Fantastic non-intellectual wine for the price. I usually see it around $25-30 in Dallas but I found a case for $9 in a clearance sale.

I’m not ‘in the know’ but this is what I recall as well.

don’t forget this is about 1/3 Mourvedre and 1/3 Grenache, so not your typical blend. But it is almost the same proportions of the grande cuvee.

to me, Coudelet is not a normal CdR - it’s much more structured and demands cellar time.

had an 04 last night as well, coincidentally. Drinks quite well and can last longer in the cellar. Bought a case each of 04,05,06 at costco for $17 or so…hindsight makes me wish I bought a bunch more… This is as good or better than many $30 wines, imo, although many $30 wines are over priced.

I’m guessing the '04 and the '06 are more structured than the riper '05 vintage, and that was my only real complaint about the '05, that it was ‘grapey’, i.e. ripe.

I don’t know about ripeness specifically but in general my experiance is that the 04 and 06 S. Rhones are more fruit forward and less stuctured than the 05s. Can’t say about Coudoulet 'cause I didn’t buy 04 or 06.