Doug Powers

8.9

Nice aged Côtes du Rhône, definitely mature, but still some pleasant redfruit aromas and flavors, soft structure, lingering finish, time to drink up!! This was a gray market import, as all labels are in French only, 13.5% ABV. — 5 days ago

with Jim

Liz Dolan

9.8

Peppery and delicious. Smooth — a month ago

Bob McDonald

9.9

The nose shows a touch of Animale and SO2 after decanting which eventually blew off. Sweet and smooth (raspberry notes) on the medium + bodied palate it is totally in balance. Tarry notes showing its 60% Mourvèdre (20% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise). The palate builds and builds with air and is amazing. I first tasted this wine at a structured personal tasting at the Chateau with my wife and the family around 12 years ago. The balance and palate intensity is incredible - it needed the 18 years of age. I have never tasted a Mourvèdre based wine (60%) to be as smooth and silky as this. Jancis score was 19/20. One of the 1001 wines and probably one of the best wines we have drunk this year. 99 points. — 2 months ago

Doug Powers

9.4

[En Magnum] This is absolutely a beautiful, 30-year-old, Beaucastel Rouge in large format, mostly clean (just a trace of Brett), red fruits, still some structure, but not tannic, balanced, complex layers of flavors, long finish, really a top-notch Beaucastel with old school ABV (13.5%)!, lovely!!! — 23 days ago

with Jim

Mark Rosse

9.4

A lot better than the 2006 — a month ago

Emily Pipes

9.3

Good Côtes du Rhône. A bit sour and bitter for my taste at first — a month ago

Doug Powers

9.0

This is a SUPERIOR Côtes du Rhône, dark fruits, lovely depth and complexity, this is old vines fruit just barely outside the CdP appellation (similar to Coudoulet de Beaucastel), and has long been a poor man’s CdP!! — 3 months ago

with Jim

Richard Portes

9.5

18. Light gold. Honeyed. Lovely on back palate. V long . Same class as Chapoutier Le Meal blanc. — 23 days ago

Doug Powers

9.3

Lovely, sweet mature fruit (dried redfruits), there might be a touch of Brett (but less than the 1995 Beaucastel I posted last week), suave and complex on the palate, lingering finish, excellent Chateauneuf-du-Pape at its peak!! — 20 days ago

with Jim

Jay Kline

9.4

Poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service. The 2005 “Panoplie” pours a deep garnet color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous, with notes of ripe and desiccated black and red fruit: blackberries, Marionberries, raspberries, black cherry, strawberry, leather, mushrooms, purple flowers, cocoa, old wood and a mix of dry organic and inorganic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and simply delicious. Drink now through 2040+. — 3 months ago