TN: '95 Beaucastel CdP

Beautiful bottle, maybe at or close to peak. Not a barnyard funkbomb like my last '96. The '95 has much more fruit than funk, in addition to nice nose and flavors of leather, iodine, black pepper, and garrigue to mix things up. Still a bit alcoholic, but the tannins are settling down, and it's a big enough wine that it didn't detract.

[Jenise]

Hey Warren!

Agree on the 95 vs. 96, though the one time (and last time) I had them together I thought the 96 was more dead than just superfunked. This was at a tasting of 88 thru 2004 my Vancouver group did about a year ago.

1996 Ch.de Beaucastel – Light and rather hollow. I held some aside and found that it actually improved with a bit more time, but not much, it really IS over for this one.

1995 Ch.de Beaucastel – Very substantial, bigger bodied and more youthful than the 99 thru 96 that came before it. Loved the mint aspect and a whiff of something that reminds me of powdered black cherries (and something I've found on several of the better 95 Northern Rhones as well). This has a great future.

Have you finished that case of '98's yet? Need any help?

Woe is me, I only have four of the '98's. I console myself knowing I have a baker's dozen of the '01. We should do a vertical tasting of Pegau, Charvin, Telegaphe, and/or Beaucastel sometime soon.

[Jenise]

Woe is me, I only have four of the '98's. I console myself knowing I have a baker's dozen of the '01. We should do a vertical tasting of Pegau, Charvin, Telegaphe, and/or Beaucastel sometime soon.

Would love that! Have any Chave Hermitage? That's the vertical I lust for. Have a magnum of the '86 waiting to anchor just such an occasion.

Only the Chave Blanc. I'd love the Rouge vertical as well.

Woe is me, I only have four of the '98's. I console myself knowing I have a baker's dozen of the '01. We should do a vertical tasting of Pegau, Charvin, Telegaphe, and/or Beaucastel sometime soon.

Would love that! Have any Chave Hermitage? That's the vertical I lust for. Have a magnum of the '86 waiting to anchor just such an occasion.

Served a 83 Chave Hermitage to the New York group that I know for many years and they were muttering superlative for 15 minutes. It's a group that usually is prone to booing their mothers for poor child raising. It was a great year for Chave and I've drank over a case of the 83 through the years but this bottle was out of this world in flavors. "No great vintages just great bottles".

What did a case of '83 Chave sell for in the '80's?
Cheers,
Warren

[Jenise]

It's a group that usually is prone to booing their mothers for poor child raising.

But everybody in New York does that.

What did a case of '83 Chave sell for in the '80's?
Cheers,
Warren

Warren it's a long time ago but my memory seems to recall somewhere in the low to middle 20s. Percentage wise my income over time did not go up as fast as certain wines and Chave was one of them. When it comes to Hermitage Chave has always been in a league by himself IMHO.

It's a group that usually is prone to booing their mothers for poor child raising.

But everybody in New York does that.

Oh Jenise, they would say your provincial side is showing.

[Jenise]

It's a group that usually is prone to booing their mothers for poor child raising.

But everybody in New York does that.

Oh Jenise, they would say your provincial side is showing.

Of course they would and they'd be right, at least per the thought that anyone NOT a New Yorker is by definition provincial. And considering the magnificence of that town, I can't argue with them.

Had the '95 Beaucastel CdP this past February. Very nice indeed.

Psst - Jenise - have a bottle of the 1985 Chave. I can be had....should we try and set something up? Maybe a 6 vintage vertical....

Psst - Jenise - have a bottle of the 1985 Chave. I can be had....should we try and set something up? Maybe a 6 vintage vertical....

When you guys let me know how the 85 is drinking. I have a couple of bottles left, if I remember correctly?

Certainly will - if I can get a vertical together. This is my only bottle so have been saving it for something like this.