1983 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

The 1983 Beaucastel had never been one of my favorite vintages for this wine, but it has begun to finally turn the corner and soften up and is now looking very promising indeed. I have had this wine four or five times in the last couple of years, and it has gotten progressively better with each subsequent showing. The bouquet is complex and beginning to show signs of the transparency of maturity, as it offers up notes of dried, dark berries, a touch of chipotle pepper, leather, woodsmoke, heather, game, oak leaves, dried flowers and just a last vestige of the wine’s adolescent horsiness. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and gamy, with a fine core of fruit, lovely soil inflection, tannins that are now falling away nicely, and excellent length and grip on the complex and well-balanced finish. This is resolving very nicely, and is better than I had hoped to imagine in its stormy youth. I would still give it a few more years to completely soften. (JG) 91+

Tough and closed in, but there's plenty going on in the glass. A full-bodied wine, with black cherry, charcoal and light earth aromas and tons of flavor. Has super-firm tannins and a tight structure. Needs much more time. (JS)