2012 Chateau De Beaucastel Chateauneuf-Du-Pape 750 ml

“The Best Beaucastel Since the 1990 or 2001” — Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Every serious wine collector in the world is well acquainted with the Perrin family’s Château de Beaucastel. Since Robert Parker first began dropping 100-point scores on Beaucastel’s Châteauneuf-du-Papes, Beaucastel has set the bar by which all wines of the southern Rhône Valley are measured.

In the 2009-2011 vintages, the Perrins’ importer graced WineAccess with small allocations. But despite the strong partnership we’d forged with Vineyard Brands, when the Wine Advocate’s review of the 2012 hit the web, it seemed our luck had run its course. Here’s why.

The very first sentence of the tasting note posted in October 2014 set the stage for a protracted negotiation: “What I think might end up being the best Beaucastel since the 1990 or 2001, the 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape offers a full-bodied, decadent style to go with awesome black and blue fruits, garrigue, licorice, crushed flowers and violets.”

The Wine Advocate’s 96-point rating — the highest rating attributed to Beaucastel’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape since 1989 — hit us right where it hurts. Fifteen days later, we called the importer, expecting the worst.

“The waiting list is a mile long,” we were told firmly, if politely.

“So how do we butt in line?” we pushed back.

In January 2015, we offered a segment of our membership (those who had purchased Beaucastel in the past, as well as other Châteauneuf-du-Pape buyers) a small taste of the Perrins’ 2012. Then, every three months thereafter, we called, emailed, and texted Johnny C at Vineyard Brands, asking for more.

Good things come to those who wait.

Once again, our good friend Johnny C hasn’t forgotten about the little guy. What are friends for???

The 2012 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a MASTERPIECE, one of the three greatest bottlings ever to come off this biodynamically farmed oasis. Purple-black in hue, with explosive aromas of black raspberry, licorice, thyme, tobacco, and savory meats. Rich, dense, and voluptuous on the attack, boasting a powerhouse mix of black- and red-fruit preserves and dried cherry, doused with framboise liqueur and a splash of kirsch. Finishing with dusty tannins that argue, as Parker suggested, for “two decades” of cellar slumber.

$125 on release. $78.99 this morning — the LOWEST delivered price in America. Shipping included on 3. The LAST of our allocation of the vintage is now up for grabs.