Château de Beaucastel, Coudoulet Rouge, Rhône, France, 2020

Overview of the Wine
The 30 hectares of Coudoulet are located just east of the vineyard of Beaucastel on the other side of the A7 motorway. For reasons that have now become obvious, Coudoulet is often considered the baby Beaucastel. The Coudoulet soil has many similarities to that of Beaucastel. It is made out of Molasse seabed covered by diluvial alpine deposits. These pebbles called “Galets Roulés” play a big role: They take in the heat during the day and let it if off slowly at night which gives a good start to the vines in the Spring.

The 2020 vintage in Southern Rhône was favoured by very good weather conditions, it is an optimal vintage, in terms of quality. Not as hot as in 2019, this year was very windy, throughout the growing cycle, with light rainfalls. After a fairly mild winter (one single episode of frost was noted during the night of March 24, but only the early ripening plots were very slightly affected). The spring was radiant, quite warm and very windy, which allowed the soils to preserve their freshness. Flowering began on May 18, under very healthy conditions. The good weather continued in June, July and August, with plenty heat but lower temperatures than in 2019, cool and humid nights and wind which continued to blow, preserving the freshness of the vines and maintaining perfect sanitary conditions for the grapes. The harvest, which was fairly early, therefore began under these very good conditions on August 26 with the white Côtes-du-Rhône and continued until the end of September with the Mourvèdre. September was warm at the beginning of the month and then more temperate, offering idyllic harvest conditions and allowed each plot to be harvested at perfect maturity. The harvest was very healthy with beautiful juicy and very ripe grapes, reasonable alcohol levels, good acidity and already a great balance.

Grape / Blend
40% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 10% Cinsault

Origin
Rhône, France

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Superb deep-ruby red colour with purple reflections. The nose reveals a beautiful freshness and a seductive aromatic bouquet combining notes of red fruit, spices and white pepper with a hint of perfectly integrated toasted vanilla. Full bodied, greedy, very soft, the palate presents a very nice balance with freshness and aromas of black cherry jam. The finish is long with a beautiful aromatic intensity and velvety tannins. A wine of great elegance with good aging potential.

92 Points - James Suckling (2021)
Very attractive red cherry fruit fills out the medium-bodied palate where the fine tannins underline this very well. Impressive length with plenty of licorice and a touch of candied citrus at the long, crisp and emphatically dry finish. A cuvee based on grenache and mourvedre. From organically grown grapes. Drink from release.

92 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2021)
A terrific vintage for this wine, which was bottled just a couple of weeks prior to my late June visit, the 2021 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel is a blend of 30% each Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, plus 10% Cinsault. From a vineyard just outside the boundaries of the appellation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, it's a remarkably consistent wine and always a solid value. Scents of sunbaked stones, black cherries and licorice appear on the nose, joined by hints of purple raspberries and dark chocolate, while the medium to full-bodied palate is lush and velvety, finishing long and complex.

90-92 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2020)
The 2020 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel continues this cuvée's hot streak. A blend of approximately 30% each Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, with 10% Carignan, it boasts attractive floral overtones, hints of crushed stone and ripe cherry fruit. Full-bodied and impressively silky for such a young wine, it should be drinkable upon release and for at least a decade thereafter.

90-92 Points - Jeb Dunnuck (2020)
A year-in, year-out winner, the 2020 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel offers outstanding quality as well as classic notes of darker fruits, roasted herbs, truffly earth, and some meaty, peppery, gamey nuances. With wonderful purity of fruit, ripe tannins, and a balanced, elegant mouthfeel, it will have over a decade of longevity.

Product size: 750ml