With the crew at the Humble Pit.

This was a VERY different Beaucastel, and just smells like a HOT vintage. Wine was slow oxed for about 2.5-3 hours.

When I first cut off the capsule, I noticed the cork had shrunk and recessed, AND had been some seepage. Not much, perhaps a few drops, but it seemed to have sealed itself off eventually based on the dried residue.

I was a little worried about the wine, but the fill level was good, and thankfully it smelled good off the bottle.

In the glass: deep inky core with bright distinct garnet rim, showing the wine’s age and concentration. High extraction with a almost milkiness

On the nose: fresh off the bottle, this was shocking. The intensity of primary fruits – pure blackcurrant, dark cherries. It just smelled so overwhelmingly ripe and primary it almost came across as being a baby new world Grenache. OH, but let me tell you, give it time to breathe generously in the glass, and you finally get to see what it’s hiding inside. With aggressive aeration in the glass, a lifted herbal note with a spiced note emerges. Peppercorn. With even more air, I finally got a glimpse of its age, as a certain pleasant musk emerges.

On the palate: shockingly bright acidity, bone dry, high intensity of fruit. Mid++ finish. Perfectly resolved tannins with that silky body, yet still retaining structure.

This is very different from the other Beaucastel CDP I’ve had, which has this distinct leanness to them. The 2007 is so shockingly youthful, primary, plush and just RIPE. I can’t imagine this being anywhere remotely close to its peak. What a surprise.

This is also why I’m such an annoying stickler for aeration. This would’ve been pleasant, but very unpleasurable without enough air.