2017 Coudoulet de Beaucastel Côtes-du-Rhône

Still not yet bottled for my June visit (it was scheduled to be bottled at the end of the month), the final blend of the 2017 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel was showing plenty of garrigue and dried-spice notes layered over cherry fruit. Full-bodied, silky textured and long on the finish, it should drink well for a decade or more. (JC)

The 2017 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel is a textbook example of this cuvée, and while it tends to be a relatively expensive Côtes Du Rhône, it merits the price. Complex garrigue, ground pepper, and earthy dark fruits all flow to a medium to full-bodied wine that has a polished, elegant texture as well as the sunny, Provençal style of the vintage.

If you love Chateauneuf-du-Pape reds as much as I do, but would prefer not to spend fifty plus dollars for it, I have a suggestion. Chateau de Beaucastel annually produces one of the most sought after Chateauneufs in the Rhone Valley, and any remaining wine often ends up in their second bottling, the Coudoulet de Beaucastel, a deeply-hued, richly aromatic wine that manifests much of the complexity and elegance of its big brother at roughly one third the price. Layers of ripe cherry, brambly dark fruits, licorice and spice play upon the palate, with a distinctive dry mineral aspect that expresses the structure and seriousness of this wine. An absolute must for anyone who appreciates the intrinsic quality and beauty of the Rhone Valley and its wines.