Château de Beaucastel 2016

Bottled only a week before my visit, I was blown away by how well Beaucastel's 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape was showing. It's full-bodied, creamy, lush and rich, with layers of raspberry fruit, garrigue and spice that unfold across a seamless palate. No doubt it will go through cycles of being open and closed throughout its lifespan, but it would be a mistake to simply order a case, put it into storage and forget about it without trying one first and swooning over the sheer lusciousness and youthful complexity.

Youthfully reticent, but warm and polished in feel, with a large core of cassis, raspberry and cherry puree notes lying in wait for now. Threads of red licorice, warm stone and singed mesquite and cedar emerge steadily through the lengthy finish as the fruit unwinds slowly. Concentrated yet precise. Sock this away in the cellar. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Counoise. Best from 2023 through 2040. 6,250 cases made, 3,500 cases imported.

The nose is tightly wound for now, but shows fresh black fruits and an underlying herbal seam. It's full-bodied but immediately lifted and fresh on the palate, with powerful fruit and a dense lattice of ripe tannins. It is beautifully textured, very straight in style, with great length and energy. It's already very well integrated and balanced. Tight, refreshing, mineral and intense. A truly excellent Beaucastel.

30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, and all the other varieties. Some reductive notes on the nose. Floral and rich on the palate with a gorgeous spice mix and effortless balance. A great wine, with great pedigree – you can taste this in the sheer elegance and intensity. (RH)

Deep, brilliant crimson. Aromas of ripe red and dark berries, musky flowers and garrigue develop a spice cake nuance as the wine opens up. Juicy and seamless on the palate, offering sweet black raspberry, cherry compote, liquorice and lavender pastille flavours that display superb depth as well as unlikely energy. Doesn’t let up on the impressively long, spice-tinged finish, which features smoothly interwoven tannins and a lingering cherry note.

It is easy to get lost in the aromatic complexities here, with all the pepper, leaf, wet earth, spice, old wood, dark cherry and plum notes. On the palate, the wine is polished, deep, fresh, concentrated and sweet. Here, there is a purity and symmetry to the wine, along with a clean, fruit-driven palate this year, that makes this a treat to taste, even at this young stage. Marc Perrin thinks this is the best wine produced here since the back-to-back duo of 1989 and 1990. I am sure this is better than both those previous vintages. It is a stunning wine that deserves your attention to find a bottle and taste it. This should have the ability to age for decades.

A beautiful, intense colour. The nose is open, showing notes of plum, black fruits and spices. Overall it is well-judged, with no stewed fruit and no excess alcohol. The palate is ample; the fruit contributes to this sense of freshness.