2022 Coudoulet de Beaucastel Côtes-du-Rhône

A focused, lively and succulent Cotes-du-Rhone with aromas of cherries, raspberries, dried herbs and baking spices. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Seductive and precise, with crunchy red berry flavors at the center. A focused finish with length. Drink or hold. (KD)

The Coudoulet has often been referred to as “Baby Beaucastel,” and for good reason. The vineyards sit just outside the boundaries of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but if we were talking about this wine a century ago, before the appellation lines were officially drawn, these vines would have contributed to the classic Beaucastel Chateauneuf. That has always made what seems like a humble Côtes-du-Rhône all the more special. Just recently, I poured the Coudoulet alongside Beaucastel for our sales teams when I was visiting each of the California store locations, and it was a great comparison. It has all that sumptuous fruit you would expect from such a great terroir—roasted raspberry, blackberry, potpourri, fig jam and a touch of dried tobacco. In its youth, it shows some of the character you might have to wait several years to unlock from its bigger brother. That doesn’t make Coudoulet simply a lesser version of Beaucastel. This is a wine that stands firmly on its own and comes from one of the great producers of the Southern Rhône. And there is one more consideration: we have this at the sharpest price I’ve seen in many years. For this level of pedigree and quality, Coudoulet doesn’t feel like such a “Baby” anymore, making this a particularly compelling offer right now.