1990 Beaucastel - Chateauneuf du Pape Rhone Blend - France - Southern Rhone - Chateauneuf du Pape - Red

Consistent notes. Just keeps getting better in bottle. Beautiful mahogany-brick red color; less of the typical Beaucastel barnyard bret than in other vintages; profound smoky/gamey nose w/leather tobacco & exotic spices; similar flavors on the palate; soft integrated tannins; rich, complex and well-balanced; a masculine style wine but with no hard edges; amazingly long, rich & complex finish. A great Beaucastle that is fully mature now and will continue to drink well for several more years.

Cow Dung? Barnyard, earthy funk, but still some rasberry buried way down deep. I loved it, a few thought the barnyard was too much

like the 1989 on that night it was amazing and almost as good as the 1989

Light garnet, a little bricking at the rim. This has an amazingly complex and aromatic nose. Definite notes of smoked meat, coffee, chinese five spice, tomato ketchup and polished wood accompany sweet underlying blackberry fruit. Medium bodied with good acidity and smooth integrated tannins. Beautiful balance in the mouth. Rich, defined flavours of leather, blackcurrant, coffee, dark chocolate and bacon fat. Evolves on the palate and lingers in the throat for minutes. Fabulous.

The color showed its age but the nose and palate were still very primary. Not nearly the barnyard flavor/nose that I recall from the 89. Not bad, but certainly not the wine I was hoping. In a dumb phase?

03/05 excellant CDP. perhaps slightly diluted but i am being very picky to say that. drinking perfectly.