TN: '07 Beaucastel CDP

WINE TALK
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Rob,

Just to be clear my post was about Vieux Telegraphe '07 (which makes it off-topic, sorry), not Beaucastel. I thought the '07 VT on release was about how the '88, '89, and '90 were on release, luscious, dark, tannic, and sporting a nice freshening acidity that perked some of the fruit up into raspberry-land. The '88 and '89 were simply terrific last time I had them in ~'07.

I love all the vintages you mention re Beaucastel (except the '90, haven’t had it since release, when I had it 50+ times…), especially the '88. I haven’t tasted or purchases since the '98 (which is not intended to imply anything about '98 Beaucastel, which I know is somewhat controversial).

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+1

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And me,

Charvin, VT and Beau have all been disappointing but I am happy to give them time to blow off the bits I don’t like about them, because 98s have been enjoyable if not particularly exciting!

I am worried about Charvin though! The 2010 whilst with depth and poise was veering down the same tracks as the 07 and whilst I love the 98, 01, 04, 05 and 06 it feels like they have gone for more extraction and sweet fruit flavours of late…

24

I had the Charvin 07 at the domaine a week or so ago and it was coming around nicely. Given how surprisngly vibrant the 05 has become in the last year or so, I shouldn’t have been surprised. I am puzzled what to make of remarks about the 10, which is still in cuve at this moment.

On Beaucastel and aging, when one visits the domaine (or at least this was true up to a couple of years ago), they frequently taste a 10 year old and then a 20 year old Beau. And they do this regardless of where the vintage falls. I remember tasting the 86 and the 97 at 10 and the 88 at 20. The message was clear. If you have a good cellar and if your batch isn’t heat damaged (Beaucastel was plagued by this for some time), you should keep your hands off until age 10 and try to have some left at age 20.

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-1

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Jonathan, I have tasted a few barrel samples.

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I’ll keep my fingers crossed for both the '07 Beau and VT. They are perennial faves (yes I like the Beaucastel funk) and I like them at 15+ years out. Still holding a 750 and a 3L of the '88 Beau, which was going strong as of last year.

28

So have I. And based on that, you are ready to tell where it is veering? You are better at barrel samples than I am. For what it is worth, though it was certainly more fruit forward than is typical, it didn’t remind me of the 07, though I see good reasons for preferring the 09 to either.

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Of course not! I just found it sweet as I found the 07, and hope they both shed the puppy fat. I’m sure they will be good but it was excessive puppy fat (to my tastes at least) that made me question my. Judgement with 07, and 10! I find 09 more balanced and the 08s although not amazing are improving very nicely!

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+1

[cheers.gif]

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Maybe we just need to pair more magnums of '07 CdP with, well, everything!! newhere

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K, Todd - I’m in! [thumbs-up.gif]

Uh . . . what is that? Like 500+ Liters/year/person measured in consumer/liter/years . . . ? [wink.gif]

Maybe it’s time for talks on a direct pipeline. neener We’ll just need a Brett-Filtration station on the US side.

[cheers.gif]

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Well, as a counter point, I’ve had close to half a case of both the Beaucastel and the Vieux Telegraph and think they’re both stunning wines that have long lives ahead of them.

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Jeb,

Haven’t had the VT, & not overly likely too, just not a fan.

As for the Beaucastel, I’d certainly give you a pretty stunning nose, with the palate lagging behind - just not showing all the mid-palate intensity, depth & length it should for a “great” year of Beaucastel IMHO.

Not too harp on Point scores, but my 92 is no mean score. Just don’t think this will have quite as stellar a future many here (even without tasting) seem to think.

[cheers.gif]

35

Finally, someone stopped beating around the bush and said the B word. Barrel Funk and Beaucastel huh? Let’s get real…Beacastel is notorious for brett showing up in many of their wines. Call it what it is.

Barrell Funk is a far too polite way of saying “bacterial invasion.”

That aside, I am generally a big fan of Beaucastel.

As for 2007, I’ve enjoyed a few very much, but had a major, major disappointment in the form of the Mon Aieul. 16.? abv, and for my palate right now, not a pleasant wine to drink. I’ve laughed a bit reading what vignerons in CDP have said in response to what they think about 2007: “2005 is a wonderful vintage.”

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Beau is rarely very fun on release. The only ones I have really enjoyed young have been 2000 (has been open since day 1) and, surprisingly, the very structured 2005.

Have faith. It’s Beau.

37

My experience with VT is that age 5 is an awful time to drink them. 95 is drinking wonderfully and the 98 has just caught up. I would have sold all my 98 VT based on how they drank in 03 or 04. For me, many CDPs are best drunk really young or past age 8, with a preference for past age 8.

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Ha Ha John,

I’m with ya, Dude! [cheers.gif]

But - THIS Beaucastel didn’t have noticeable Bret (i’m pretty sensitive) - Yet, & the bacterial funkiness (at this point, anyway) was a just back-note.

I really don’t like having bacteria with my wine, & really don’t like what funky old oak does to ANY wine, so if I can view it as a subtle back-note (like I said - For Now!), it’s minor, at present.

I’m gunna say the N word too!

There is no such thing as “Neutral” oak. You cannot trust anyone who tells you otherwise.

Cut & dried; Fluffed & folded. Period. [popcorn.gif]

[cheers.gif]

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[worship.gif] Truer words have never been spoken.

(I will say, however, that I’ve found the '03’s (which are decidedly “middle aged”) to be quite accessible right now).

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To begin trying them?
2006: 2014
2005: 2017