Château de Beaucastel - Châteauneuf-du-Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes 2017

Since 1909, Beaucastel has been owned by the Perrin family. Today, it is run by Jean-Pierre and François, the sons of Jacques Perrin, along with Cécile, Marc, Pierre, Thomas, Charles, Mathieu, and César—the fifth generation. In other words: a family business! Situated on 100 hectares of rounded pebble soil, including 30 hectares in the Côtes du Rhône (Coudoulet de Beaucastel), Château Beaucastel produces four wines. Among the whites are a classic cuvée dominated by Roussanne and the famous Roussanne-Vieilles-Vignes cuvée. For the reds, Mourvèdre plays a major role, accounting for nearly a third of the vineyards—as much as Grenache. This unusual proportion was a strategic choice in 2018 and helped achieve the finesse and freshness characteristic of Beaucastel. This is undoubtedly one of the finest wine estates in France, and, in our opinion, it has shown even greater purity in recent years.

As usual, the 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes comes from a three-hectare plot planted in 1909. It is richer, creamier, and has a longer finish than Beaucastel’s traditional white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but it is also fresher and more briny. It seems even more impressive than the superb 2016.

With its unique terroir of rounded pebbles, Château de Beaucastel is one of the icons of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This estate can pride itself on being one of the few to use all thirteen authorized grape varieties in the production of its red wine. A wine that consistently maintains a very high standard, though it faces competition from cuvées that have shaken up the appellation’s hierarchy. Certainly, the extremely rare and remarkable “Hommage à Jacques Perrin” cuvée—made predominantly from Mourvèdre and produced only in exceptional vintages—remains a benchmark, as does the sumptuous “Roussanne Vieilles Vignes” white, which reveals its full potential with age. Under the Perrin family’s capable leadership, Château de Beaucastel remains a benchmark for wines from southern France—a status it must now share with other estates that have reached, or even surpassed, its level.