2015 Rhône

The component tasting is always instructive, but sometimes quite exacting: with the 2015, it was far from it. With the possible exception of the youthful and slightly austere Syrah, much of which had been fermented with stems, the other varietals were all gloriously expressive. From the red-fruit charm of the Cinsault and the white-pepper grip of the Counoise to the fleshy, fulsome Grenache and the smoky, blue-fruit velvet of the Mourvèdre, all was promising indeed. And the assemblage is far greater than the sum of its parts. This truly is a great Beaucastel in the offing – a wonderful expression of Provençal generosity, tempered by spice and intimations of intensely satisfactory development. Drink 2022-2030+.
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

It is immediately apparent that this is a Beaucastel vintage of the highest order. The weight and density of fruit on the nose conveys this straight away, this is positively dripping with dark, ripe yet brooding fruit. On the palate this density continues unimpeded, there are waves of complexity beneath the very pure dark fruit and classical Beaucastel garrigue notes along with gunpowder and black tea. The length of finish is extremely pleasing, it marches on and on in a wonderfully fine, and dare I say unusually elegant fashion. This is a Beaucastel which will age very well, a true vin de garde. The best and most complete young Beaucastel I have tasted.
Gary Owen - Private Account Manager

Of the 13 plots which make up this wine, the key ones are Beaurenard in the north-west, Charbonnière on the central Crau plateau and Gallimardes in the south... in other words, this has a richly diverse provenance. The blend is 80 percent Grenache, 10 percent Mourvèdre, seven percent Syrah and three percent Cinsault. The wine displays classic aromas of thyme, sous-bois and macerated plum and an equally classic palate, which is long and unnervingly complex. Drink 2020-2028. 
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

The forebears of sisters Sophie and Catherine Armenier have been making superb wines since 1344 it seems, maybe modifying their techniques a little along the way, but not too much. Biodynamic in all but the letter, they are based close to Beaucastel, but their plots, albeit more modest in total surface area, are more widely spaced over the appellation, with the most significant holdings in the areas around Courthézon and on the central Crau plateau. Low yields are key to the exceptional quality of the wines.

Eponymous slopes, suitably adroit, from the near homophone lieu-dit, Les Chailles, host one of Alain’s most sublime pieces of work. Syrah is seldom as expressive in youth, and after only a little time in glass it will cede a cornucopia of woodland magic. Oak plays its part, but discretely, diplomatically, as the fruit rejoins an almost painfully eloquent soliloquy. Drink 2022-2030+.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

Beyond the Grenache, there is now 35 percent of Mourvèdre in the blend, sprucing the finish with balanced acidity, with vestigial Vaccarèse and Counoise and, these days, a shade less than 10 percent Syrah. Mediterranean to its core, in other words, with notes of laurel, eucalypt, liquorice and spice framed by beautifully ripe tannins, and a luxuriant core of Grenache, all cashmere silk and seamless indulgence. Black cherry, blueberry and myrtle dominate the fruit character on the mid-palate and the finish is long and refreshing. Drink 2022-2030+.
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

Just what is it that has made Clos des Papes the most sought-after address in this village? Vincent Avril has much to say, but the key parts of his exposition to me are exceptionally low yields, widely fragmented plots and a refusal to venerate Mammon by introducing of a series of deluxe cuvées. The wine is therefore the definitive statement of a village that is celebrated for blended complexity, deliciously ironic in a man who appears to have a distinctly Burgundian temperament (in a good sense, needless to say!). This aside, Vincent does not actually vinify by plot, but segregates three or four key blends in the March following harvest, blends which are marked by greater or lesser influence of the minority shareholding grapes and which therefore signal both the character of the vintage and the relative importance of Grenache in the ensemble.