2006 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rhone Valley 750 ml

Two years ago, Vinous critic Ian D'Agata sat down for dinner at a restaurant in Alsace and ordered a bottle of Beaucastel from the 2006 vintage. It was so “magnificent” that he published a review of it that month. He called it “a masterpiece of refinement and precision. Not at all a blockbuster, but rather a paragon of balance and gracefulness.” And we noticed.

From the moment you pull the cork, you can tell this is a special wine. It’s got a lovely garnet hue and slightly tawny edge showing off its 15-year slumber. A symphony of aromas reveals beautiful garrigue, lavender, and thyme nuances, which reappear on the palate. This Grenache-Mourvèdre-dominant blend is not over the top, and shows tremendous balance, poise, and harmony—if there ever was a bottle evocative of a sense of place, this is it. 

In 2006, the Perrin family—owners of Château de Beaucastel—enjoyed a remarkable growing season, but one with especially low yields. This presented them with a dilemma. In the end, they made the difficult choice not to bottle their top-end Hommage à Jacques Perrin. Instead, the grapes typically destined for the $400+ Hommage went into the 2006 Château de Beaucastel. 

Located on a single 110-hectare (270-acre) plot in the north of the appellation, the vines at Beaucastel are subject to the stiff mistral winds, and they deliver a massive concentration of flavors. Once harvested, the grapes are pressed, then aged in 500-liter oak casks. The wine is bottled unfiltered to retain maximum color and aromatic expression.

The result is a Châteauneuf of incredible depth, finesse, complexity, and longevity. This is a golden opportunity to experience how beautifully a bottle of Beaucastel can age.