Rupert Symington, The Symington Group (Portugal). I recently bought 24 bottles of Coudoulet de Beaucastel 2007 from the new Portuguese importer for Perrin, and I have to say on opening the first bottle I was mightily impressed. As a huge northern and southern Rhône fan anyway, this bottle delivered everything I could ask for from a medium-priced Châteauneuf. I have had Coudoulet many times before at tastings in the U.S. and in Canada, and while it is nearly always overshadowed when tasted alongside the main Château de Beaucastel bottling, it is still remarkably complex and unquestionably better than quite a number of wines from the region that sell at higher prices. The figgy, spicy 2007 went down beautifully with a simple roast chicken cooked with fresh herbs from the garden accompanied by cauliflower with cheese. This was my homecoming dinner after two weeks travelling in the U.S., and I certainly wasn't in a state to be thinking too hard, so Coudoulet could possibly be my perfect "jetlag wine.
Thank you Rupert for this mention!
