Collaboration Of Greats
On Saturday night. I was solo, my wife was out at an event that I would rather take poison than attend. I cooked myself a great meal and opened the wine I am emailing you about. Just me and my new friend, the 2020 Beatus Chateauneuf Du Pape. I let the wine open up for two hours. I watched the new ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ on Netflix and enjoyed a great experience of site, sound and taste that brings a smile to my face as I write this.
The wine was absolutely superb, glorious soaring fruit, supple and long, old vine Grenache coating your plate, superb concentration matched with elegance, no alcohol pushing through that I often find with these wines. Wine was almost dreamy, close your eyes with each sip, a great wine. Beatus is latin for ‘happy’.
The wine is a very limited Cuvee that is a collaboration of two great winemakers, one from the USA and one from Chateauneuf de Pape. Todd Alexander of the world class Force Majeure (100pts many times over), formerly of Bryant and Anne-Charlotte Melia-Bachas of Chateau de la Font du Loup, one of the top producers in Chateauneuf du Pape. The two struck up a friendship and decided to make a wine together in Chateauneuf du pape, a dream of Alexander’s being one of the first regions to inspire him to make wine and of working with Granche in particular. They selected a single plot of 80-year-old Grenache at the top of La Crau Vineyard in Châteauneuf du Pape, the highest location in the AOC. The plot is called ‘Le Poteau’ , one of the finest, protected from the intense summer heat. La Crau is famous for making the great Vieux Telegraphe.
2020 is a strong vintage, 94pts Parker as a vintage but NOW COMES THE FUN PART. I have been able to secure a drop-dead price on the wine. This tiny production cult cuvee regular price is $239.99 a bottle. Today I can offer it to you for $109.99. The wine will absolutely blow you away and the price to match. Very limited availability.
Made in collaboration with Chateau de la Font Du Loup, the 2020 Beatus is an extraordinary bottling that rivals some of the top wines of this region. The nose is hugely perfumed with red rose petals, potpourri, sage and shades of red currants. The palate displays the same level of concentration as it does on the bouquet. Beautiful guava and ripe strawberry fruits parade with copious minerals and a sinfully good texture on the palate. Fresh and vibrant, this is just sensational stuff to enjoy in its heady youth. 97pts