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94 WA. "I am thrilled to see the 2009 Esprit de Beaucastel burst from the glass with an exciting melange of dark red cherries, flowers, sweet herbs, mint and spices. Exotic spiced notes linger on the finish. The 2009 boasts serious intensity, richness and depth, but it remains quite tannic and in need of further bottle age. The vintage saw both frost and drought, two conditions that are a little unusual in the same year. Now that it is in bottle, the 2009 meets all of the expectations I had when I tasted it from barrel last year. The blend is 40% Mourvedre, 28% Syrah, 27% Grenache and 5% Counoise." Wine Advocate #202, Aug 2012 |