Château de Beaucastel - Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

Beaucastel has been owned by the Perrin family since 1909, and is now 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 affair! Situated on a 100-hectare terroir of rolled pebbles, including 30 hectares of Côtes du Rhône (Coudoulet de Beaucastel), Château Beaucastel produces four wines. In white, a classic cuvée dominated by Roussanne, and the famous cuvée Roussanne-Vieilles-Vignes. In the reds, Mourvèdre plays a major role, accounting for almost a third of plantings, as much as Grenache. This unusual proportion was strategic in 2018, helping to achieve Beaucastel's characteristic finesse and freshness. This is undoubtedly one of France's finest wine estates, with, it seems to us, an added purity in recent years.

Decanter

About the wine:

This year, the color is dark and inky. It's fresh with red fruit, really powerful, with muscular tannins and powerful acidity. This is a dense, dark Beaucastel vintage. The aromatic precision is nevertheless extremely impressive: elderberry, sloe and blackberry. It is solid and will age well. Don't drink it young, as it may disappoint if opened too early. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudres. Syrah and Counoise are fermented in whole bunches.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

With its distinctive terroir of rolled pebbles, Château de Beaucastel is one of the emblems of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This estate is proud to be one of the few to use all thirteen authorized grape varieties to produce its red wine. A wine of consistently high quality, but one that faces competition from cuvées that have upset the appellation's hierarchy. Of course, the extremely rare and remarkable cuvée Hommage à Jacques Perrin, made from a large majority of Mourvèdre and produced only in the best years, remains a benchmark, as does the sumptuous white Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, which reveals its full potential with age. Under the efficient management of the Perrin family, Château de Beaucastel remains a benchmark for wines from the south of France, a status it must now share with other estates that have reached, or even surpassed, its level.

Jancis Robinson

About the wine:

The nose is incredibly juicy, with notes of black tea, leather and spices. The palate is round, elegant and full-bodied. There's plenty of density on the palate. The mid-palate is supple and the finish is rich and fleshy. Good, fresh acidity. The palate is heavy but balanced by the freshness of the acidity. Complex and impressive!

James Suckling

About the wine:

A textured, structured and precise red, with aromas of cherry, raspberry, warm herbs, bay leaves and baking spices. Medium- to full-bodied, with silky, beautifully blended tannins. Very well integrated. Lively and concentrated, with plenty of energy and verve to complement the ripe red fruits and dried herbs. The long, savory finish is marked by an intense flow of spice. Made from organically grown grapes. To be enjoyed after 2027.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

Châteauneuf Du Pape 2022 is a true Provençal success story, with almost overflowing aromas and flavors of sweet raspberry, blackberry, peppery garrigue and Provençal spices. It has the vintage's sunny, expressive and complex style, medium to full-bodied richness, ripe tannins and excellent finish. Like most 2022s, it has plenty of charm from the start, but also solid underlying tannins. It reminds me slightly of the 2009 and will have a longevity of two decades.