Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2019

Newly released, this bottling appears to be a juggernaut, easily one of the best made in CDP. The final results are not yet in on the 2019 vintage as a whole, but the news is very, very good. It’s either outstanding or one of a few top vintages since the truly historic 1978s. If you ask me, I’m expecting it to have much in common with the 2005s.

As César Perrin at Château de Beaucastel, reported to Decanter: ‘Summer was incredible, beautiful, just perfect for Mourvèdre.” The key, for 2019, that set the region apart were a pair of strategic rains that hit in the dead middle of the summer, providing well-needed respite.

So on the face of it, today’s offer is pretty straight forward. It’s one of the top names in Chateauneuf du Pape – imported directly with perfect provenance and it’s already got three 96-point reviews. But one thing that makes it a touch more interesting, is that this year, the normal Beaucastel CDP bottling has crept up a point or two to match the notorious Hommage.

Let’s look at some excerpts from those 96 point reviews:

First , Jeb Dunnuck, whose review is technically 96+, gave an apt synopsis of the wine itself: “It offers a vivid ruby/purple hue as well as stunning aromatics of blueberries, violets, peppered beef, leather, and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and elegant, it has just a kiss of classic Beaucastel wild, sauvage nuances, ripe, silky tannins, and a great finish.”

The Wine Spectator also took a pretty elaborate stab at it: “This is pretty gorgeous, with a remarkably pure display of cassis, cherry puree and plum reduction flavors laced every so gently with threads of leather, alder and dried garrigue. The sleek iron spine is buried deeply on the finish, and there’s a lingering hint of warm stone as the fruit echoes through. Built to last.”