Sign In

2012 Chateau de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Light capsule condition issue; light label condition issue

Removed from a professional wine storage facility; Obtained by inheritance; Consignor is second owner

Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

96The Wine Advocate

What I think might end up being the best Beaucastel since the 1990... a full-bodied, decadent style to go with awesome black and blue fruits, garrigue, licorice, crushed flowers and violets. The purity here is truly something...

95Wine Spectator

The raspberry and boysenberry confiture aromas and flavors are dominant, but there’s plenty of dried star anise, bay and licorice root to fill out the chorus.

95Decanter Magazine (points)

A deep, free and varied nose. This is modern and rock'n'roll. Sensuous fruit and ripe tannins.

93Vinous / IWC

... raspberry and cherry aromas are complicated by suave floral and spice qualities... Seamless, round and sweet on the palate, offering intense red berry preserve and floral pastille flavors with a touch of allspice...

18Jancis Robinson

Black olives and smoked bacon. Extremely vibrant on the nose too. Luscious ripe fruit on the front palate almost completely covers the tannins. Really quite remarkable. What a different wine from the 2011! Sumptuous.

REGION

France, Rhône Valley, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the appellation, is a large area of nearly 8,000 vineyard acres centered around the picturesque town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Located in southeastern France just north of the Avignon hills, the name of the appellation means “new castle of the pope” and it is a reference to the 14th century, when the Popes of Avignon built summer homes in the Southern Rhone Valley. Today the appellation is one of the most renowned in France and its terroir is known for layers of small pebbles, called “galets.” The stones in the soil are thought to help store heat and keep the soil warm, which helps ripen the grapes. The stones also help keep the soil from drying out in hot summer months. In 1923 Châteauneuf-du-Pape was a leader in establishing the idea that AOC wines in France should be made only with specified grapes, and the appellation allowed 13 grape varieties to be used. Since then the rules have been slightly modified to include several more allowable grapes. Red and white wines are produced, though in practice about 97% of all Châteauneuf –du-Papes are reds made with a blend of Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Counoise, Mourvedre, Muscardine, Syrah and Vaccarese. The red wines of this appellation are prized for being big, rich, spicy and full-bodied. White wines of the appellation are made with Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Picpoul and Picardin. Whites are floral, fruity and relatively full-bodied.