2006 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Beaucastel

As I stated last year, there is no Hommage a Jacques Perrin in 2006, but Beaucastel’s 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape is performing even better from bottle than it did last year. Its dense plum/ruby/purple colour is followed by a big, sweet perfume of black truffles, camphor, earth, incense,new saddle leather, and loads of peppery, blackberry, and herb-infused, meaty,black cherry fruit. Deep, full-bodied, and dense, with sweet tannin, this explosively rich Chateauneuf is a stronger effort than the 2005, 2004, or 2003.Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028.

95 points | Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate