2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Ch. de Beaucastel

The 2005 from Beaucastel is a phenomenal wine. The power of the 30% Mourvedre, already evidenced with the notes of charcuterie and bacon rind, will ensure longevity and an extensive and satisfying chronological crescendo over the next ten years.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

The 2005 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape is a wine that probably needs 7-10 years of bottle age...the wine has very high tannins, seems totally closed aromatically, but in the mouth is a weighty wine exhibiting a dense ruby/purple color and tight aromatics consisting of new saddle leather, porcini, meat juices, licorice, tar, and black fruits. The wine is full-bodied, powerful, very tannic, and structured in a dramatically masculine, ageworthy style. This is one for the younger generation or those with considerable patience. I can’t see it being close to drinkable before 2014 and lasting up to 30 or more years.
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Oct-2007)

One of the largest estates in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, this property is owned and run by the Perrin family. In 2005, they produced their best regular cuvée since 1989 (Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year in 1991). The Beaucastel vineyard produces dense and explosive wines from a collage of 13 different grapes, most notably Grenache and Mourvèdre. Each is fermented separately in concrete or wooden vats. The third year of drought, 2005 only intensified the concentration and structure of this ageworthy red.
(Wine No 8 - The Top 100 Wines of 2008 - Wine Spectator - Nov-2008)