2005 Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel- France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (6/17/2009)
Had this tonight with a simple dinner of grilled chicken, grilled vegetables, and salad. Simple wine for a simple dinner made for a great match. This is liquid licorice and crushed berries. Some dried fruit, herbs, and spice. Very nice freshness and medium body. Not an overly complex wine, but a very enjoyable and flavorful experience that’s drinking nicely right now with a youthful fruit exuberance. Can be held for a few years, but I personally think this is drinking absolutely perfectly right now.
Steffen,
Nice note. The wine sounds like it performed well. I have had this and the 06 recently, as well as lots of the past vintages, and here is my question: I have recently had the 99 and another 90s version (escapes me right now) and I keep running into the same thing … that is that the wine often seems to me to perform well immediately upon release but, every time I go and pull an older one out I am usually surprised how well these lowly Beau CdRs have evolved.
Nice note, Steffen. I’ve been enjoying the '05 lately too. The '06 is nice right now as well, but pales to the '05.
Scott-I agree. Had the '99 last year and it had aged really nicely.
Scott. I agree. I had the 2001 Coudoulet in January, and it was really nice. Had put on some secondary aromas and flavors. For me though, this wine shines in its youth with the licorice and fruit forwardness, and I prefer to drink it young based on my one encounter with on older one. And I generally like my wines very old.
Wish that would happen as well, but I think it’s less likely. The times I found the 05 in Costco, they were in the bin with the 04, and 04 was on the shelf label. I have the sense that some cases of 05 got mixed in with 04 from the distributor. Keep our fingers crossed, but don’t think we can count on the 05 showing up on its own.
Alan, that’s exactly what happened to me - a few dozen 05’s in the bins with the '04’s. I wish I had grabbed more, as they were, as you said, the same price.
Dennis,
I like both the 05 and 06 and bought a number of both. I, however, am having trouble staying out of the 06s and no trouble staying out of the 05s. I find the 06s really slippery (where the hell is the lip smacking smiley) – if you will – now, while I find the 05 with more potential to be compelling down the road. I must add that I like the 06 white as well and I normally feel that white Rhones are where you can get a very good $19 wine for $35.