| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Rhône > Côtes du Rhône |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Bottled a month ago, the 2020 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet sports a vivid ruby hue and is a blend of 30% each of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, with the balance Cinsault. It’s a ripe, rounded, medium to full-bodied effort that has lots of ripe red and blue fruits as well as notes of peppery garrigue and leather. Drink this juicy, elegant Côtes Du Rhône over the coming decade. Drink 2022-2032.
Deep, savory nose with notes of ripe black cherries and plum cake, plus minty and floral notes. In spite of the considerable power and generous tannin, this is very focused and elegant. The long, energetic finish suggests this has years of life ahead of it. Drink or hold.
Easy-going, not too tannic, juicy, fresh and precise, with raspberry acidity. Good length, more structured than many Côtes-du-Rhônes. Tannins just a touch dry and fibrous compared to some finer Châteauneufs, but this is very good. Drink 2022-2030.
Coudoulet Rouge remains one of the great value wines from the Rhône valley, offering a taste of Beaucastel for a fraction of the price with superb approachability. Bright ruby colour in the glass, the nose is immediate and wonderfully expressive. Bright red fruit - plums, cherries and raspberries - burst through with great clarity. This follows on the palate, which is fleshy and forward, the tannins seamless and already integrated into the core of fruit. This brings more summer pudding fruit and a creamy edge, yet there is underlying precision in hints of garrigue and savoury spice. Bright and primary through to the finish, this is an absolute delight that will be approachable from the very start, but drink well for up to a decade.
A year-in, year-out winner, the 2020 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel offers outstanding quality as well as classic notes of darker fruits, roasted herbs, truffly earth, and some meaty, peppery, gamey nuances. With wonderful purity of fruit, ripe tannins, and a balanced, elegant mouthfeel, it will have over a decade of longevity.
