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When to drink a 2000 Bordeaux
On 6 Mar 2004 11:39:09 -0800, (cherie) said:
] "Max Hauser" > wrote in message >...
] > "Scott" > innews
] > >
] > > One day while walking through Costco (massive general warehouse type store
] > > for those not in the United States), I was surprised to see that they has
] > > a small selection of 2000 Bordeaux available from 20 USD to 40 USD.
] >
] > Scott, I cannot speak necessarily for the Costco near you, and I don't know
] > anybody connected with the firm, but the Costcos I visit on the west coast
] > US get these "premium wine" pallets arriving that contain some exceptional
] > items. My wine enthusiast friends and I spot solid, insightful stuff at
] > good prices (and in good ship condition), randomly. I am guessing that a
] > corporate purchase gets split up into these "premium" pallets and
] > distributed. (Costco is better known for toilet paper by the cubic-meter
] > box, for any of you who don't know this retailer.)
]
] I whole-heartedly agree! I am hardly a wine expert, but I have bought
] a lot of wonderful wines at Costco (midwest). This morning, I went to
] Costco to pick up various items (let's just say we won't be needing to
] purchase kleenex for a while), and I picked up something new (for me):
] 2001 Cotes du Rhone--Ste Fermieredes Vignobles Pierre Perrin,
] Coudoulet de Beaucastel. Anyone know anything about this wine?
]
] -Cherie
Hiya Cherie,
This is the well known "cru du Coudoulet", the cotes du rhone of what is
perhaps the most famous chateauneuf du pape (and also perhaps the
most atypical) Chateau Beaucastel. It is a well made cotes du rhone
that usually demands a bit of aging, although it can be enjoyable at
almost any time of it's life.
It will probably lack a bit of the immediate warmth of the '00 Louis Bernard
you mentioned in another thread -- not a terrific wine in my book, but if
it can help introduce you to the pleasures of chateauneuf, all the better --
but if you let it open for a while, I think you'll find it very chewy and somewhat
more complex.
I am not a collector of coudoulet, although I do specialize in the rhone and CdP
in particular, but I think I've got some 89 hanging around somewhere. Should be
about settled down now! As for Beaucastel, a quick google search of this newsgroup
will give you lots of notes. Off the top of my head, I believe I still hold '83 and '88 - '90,
but since that time I began to be a bit put off by the oak in their style, (not to mention
the now myriad imitators.)
As you say, Costco is a great place to find stuff, with the caveat that in the smaller
markets you may have less luck. Seen some great deals, though.
To the OP, you've had the good advice, I'll only add that you should probably taste
the wine, give it lots of air, (maybe as Tom said with a grilled steak), _and_ stick one
under your stairs. Then you can see "what a difference a day makes." As others
have said, don't be too paranoid about conditions. It's mostly rapid temp swings
that you have to worry about. Most young wine (maybe Pauilliac in particular)
is pretty tough, older bottles do become more sensitive.
cheers,
-E
--
Emery Davis
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