2014 Coudoulet de Beaucastel Cotes du Rhone

In a challenging year for vineyard worker and vine, Chateau Beaucastel have arguably come up with some of the wines of the vintage. Not just the whites, for which 2014 is stellar, but the reds too. A big part of the success is their biodynamic farming, which grows vines that are tough and able to better resist the trials of being a plant than those chemically cultivated. Although like most of the regions grapes this vintage the skins were thin, you can see the ripeness in the depth of colour that few achieved. Additionally in this cool vintage the Mourvedre and Syrah had important parts to play in the final blend. Those two both enjoyed the prolonged, late summer when it arrived at the end of August. (CW 09/02/16)