2023 Côtes du Rhône Rouge, Coudoulet de Beaucastel, Famille Perrin

A solid, focused, juicy and poised wine, showing red berries, sweet spices and dried-flower aromas. Medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. Lovely crushed-strawberry character to the silky texture. Bright and fruit-forward, this has a seductive, succulent finish and a lift of peppercorns. Drink or hold.

The 2023 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel reveals aromas of dark berries, flowers, spices and garrigue, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, round and charming palate framed by velvety tannins. It concludes with a long, fruity and gourmand finish. This is a great vintage for Coudoulet—a blend of 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache Noir, 30% Syrah and 10% Cinsault.

A blend of four varieties, 30% each of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre, with 10% Cinsault, the 2023 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel should easily be an outstanding wine, and readers could do far worse than to have a case of this in the cellar. Black raspberries, ripe cherries, flowery incense, and pepper all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, has a supple, elegant, mouthfeel, and terrific purity.