CdP - Chateau de Beaucastel	1989	Perrin

2/96. A present. Tonight for Saturday night dinner of rich lentil soup, steak au poivre and creme caramel.
Farther excursion down the WWW (World Wide Wine) road. My first decent CdP! Having read recent remarks about leaking Beaucastel, I checked the bottle thoroughly. Full almost to the cork, no signs of past leakage. A pristine-looking bottle. The cork however disintegrated a bit upon opening. Decanted this 'young' wine vigorously, and let it breathe for half an hour.
COLOR: Almost jet black. Hardly any clearing around the rim. I think this is the darkest wine I ever saw!
NOSE: Very slight brett aroma at first, went away completely after a while. Exquisite nose of black forest fruit, wood, and something that reminded me of freshly grounded white pepper! Not an overwhelming bouquet, but extremely pleasant.
TASTE: Even better than the nose! Very unusual fruit taste (for me). Tons of fruit I mean, mouthful and delightful. Resembling a Bordeaux more than it does a Burgundy or an Israeli Cabernet, yet distinct and different. Lots of tannins too. A touch of sweetness adds to the harmony. Super taste!
LENGTH: Surprisingly short aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium-full body, silky texture, superb structure and extraordinary balance. The coexistence of fruit and tannins contribute to the harmonious and wholesome experience.
OVERALL: Extraordinary wine! Not having any reference, I would say now is the time to enjoy this wine. It is fully open, fruit is abundant and the noticeable tannins add balance to this masterpiece.
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

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Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.