In article >, Emery Davis
> writes:

>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.)

I agree with almost everything Emery says (except I'm surpised by him finding
Beaucastel oaky, never has seemed to me, I though they used older foudres).
Actually unlike many Côtes du Rhone, the Coudoulet is a specific property, just
outside the legal border of CdPape. Like Beaucastel, there's a comparatively
high % of Mouvedre in the blend. But I still think that Coudoulet (though
technically a CdR) tastes more like a CdP than Beaucastel does. I really like
the style of both, but find aging helps.

I had a sample of the '01 Coudoulet, and probably ordered several. Will try one
soon (just go delivery) , tuck rest away for 10 years. I find that less-forward
CdPs (which Coudoulet resembles more than it does most CdR) tend to drink well
for first year or two after release (so 3-5 years fromvintage), then shut down
for 5 years or so.
Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply