Chateau de Beaucastel ’Cru de Coudoulet’ 2003

NOTES

Château de Beaucastel is located five kilometres south-east of Orange at the northern limit of the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation. The 30 hectares Coudoulet de Beaucastel vineyard lies just to the east of Beaucastel on the other side of the A7 autoroute. For reasons that will become evident, it is often referred to as a baby Beaucastel. When one looks at the geology of the soil at Coudoulet, the similarities with the soil at Beaucastel are legion. It is composed of a layer of marine limestone from the Miocene period, covered by a deposit of alpine diluvium. This blanket of rounded stones (or "galets") contributes much to the wines of Beaucastel: they retain the intense heat of the Mediterranean sun during the day then slowly disperse it to the vines during the night. They provide a head start to the vines in springtime. During the long Mediterranean summer, lack of water can stress the vineyard at times.

TASTING NOTES

Produced from a blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvedré, 20% Syrah and 20% Cinsault the wine was matured for 6 months in large French oak barrels.

Near opaque dark crimson red colour with a magenta luminance; Very perfumed aromas of meaty ripe dark cherry, raspberry, liquorice, confectionary and spice with some leather and earth end notes. Highly intoxicating. The palate displays plenty of weight with flavours of blackberry, liquorice and spice followed by some meat and earth back palate flavours. Fine grained tannins with long aftertaste of liquorice, spice and black pepper.