1981 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rhône France Wine Tasting Note
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1981
Château de Beaucastel (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The last bottle from my case. Still a charmer, though it has dropped much of concentration over the past 40 years, there was more than enough gas in the tank to make it interesting. Medium-bodied, soft, elegant, silky and fresh, the spicy, bright red fruits, pepper, herbs and flowers showed well on the nose and stayed with you through the finish. No decanted needed, as this slowly fading. If you have a bottle, drink up sooner than later. 3,607 Views Tasted Jul 27, 2021This wine must be immortal. It never fades away. There is so much delicious, ripe, soft, sweet fruit and complex, earthy, spicy, red berry aromas and truffle, this tasted like it was at least a decade younger. I wish I had more than one bottle remaining. 4,743 Views Tasted May 31, 2014Notes of earth, truffles and jammy, black raspberries. Very silky, powerful entry. The long finish had the perfect touch of strawberry and kirsch notes. Great purity of fruit. 2,815 Views Tasted Oct 28, 2010Great nose full of barnyard, earth and stewed red and black fruits. Beautiful, elegant texture. Very complex juice. 2,691 Views Tasted Jul 25, 2005 |
When to Drink Chateau Beaucastel, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Beaucastel is a much better wine with age. Young vintages can be decanted for 2-3 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.
Chateau Beaucastel is better with 6-10 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage. In the best vintages, the wine should be consumed within 10-35 years after the vintage.
Serving Beaucastel with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
Beaucastel is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Beaucastel Rouge is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, stewed, grilled dishes, sausage, tomatoes, and cassoulet. Beaucastel Rouge is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.
The white wine of Beaucastel is best served with a myriad of different seafood dishes, shellfish, crab, lobster, sushi, sashimi, chicken, pork, and veal, as well as Asian cuisine and cheese.
Other wines from the Perrin family.
The Perrin family also maintains a partnership in California with Robert Haas called Tablas Creek. Formed in 1989, the California winery focuses on producing Rhone-style wine with both red and white Rhone varietals.
In 2013, the Perrin family entered into a partnership with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to produce Miraval, an organic Rose' wine from their Provencal estate. Miraval also produces 2 white wines, a blend of Grenache Blanc and Rolle, as well as a wine from 100% Rolle. Needless to say, Miraval is now the world's most popular Rose and wine from the Cotes de Provence.
In 2015, Miraval became the first rose' as well as the first wine in the entire Provence appellation to add anti-counterfeiting measures to their bottle. To prevent the type of forgeries that anything to do with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attracts, Miraval comes in a unique curve-shaped bottle. The bottle is also etched with the word Miraval at the bottom of the bottle.
Starting with the 2009 vintage, Beaucastel became one of the first wines outside of Bordeaux to be sold on the Place de Bordeaux by Bordeaux negociants. The Perrin family also produces one of the best red and white wines from their 30 hectares of vines in the Cotes du Rhone.