Château de Beaucastel - Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Since 1909, Beaucastel has been owned by the Perrin family. Today, it is run by Jean-Pierre and François, the sons of Jacques Perrin, alongside Cécile, Marc, Pierre, Thomas, Charles, Mathieu, and César—the fifth generation. In other words: a family affair! Situated on 100 hectares of rounded pebble soil, including 30 hectares in the Côtes du Rhône (Coudoulet de Beaucastel), Château Beaucastel produces four wines. For whites, there is 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 strategic in 2018 and helped achieve the finesse and freshness characteristic of Beaucastel. This is undoubtedly one of the finest wine estates in France, with, it seems to us, an added purity in recent years.

Decanter

About the wine:

This year, the color is deep and inky. It’s fresh with red fruit notes, truly very powerful, with robust tannins and lively acidity. It’s a dense, dark vintage from Beaucastel. The aromatic precision, however, is extremely impressive: elderberry, sloe, and blackberry. It is robust and will age well. Do not drink it young, as it may disappoint if opened too early. Grenache and Cinsault were fermented in concrete tanks, while Syrah and Mourvèdre were fermented in large oak casks. The Syrah and Counoise were fermented as whole clusters.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Aged entirely in large oak casks, Château de Beaucastel’s 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape offers aromas of black wild berries, black cherries, spices, and licorice, blended with a hint of chocolate. Medium- to full-bodied, deep, and dense, it is perfectly balanced with a structured, textured, and harmonious mid-palate, enhanced by velvety tannins and a peppery, delicate, and long finish. César Perrin aims to reduce the percentage of Syrah in favor of Counoise. This harmonious Beaucastel, aged in large oak casks, is therefore a blend of 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, 10% Counoise, 5% Cinsault, 5% Terret Noir, 5% Muscardin, 5% Vaccarèse, and 20% white grape varieties, such as Roussanne and Clairette.

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

About the wine:

An expressive fruit profile with notes of black fruit and garrigue. The Mourvèdre makes its presence felt, contributing hints of menthol. The palate offers a rich, full-bodied texture, with a tannic structure that adds structure to this powerful wine. Ripe yet fresh, it is a wine with excellent aging potential.

About the estate:

With its unique terroir of rounded pebbles, Château de Beaucastel is one of the icons of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This estate can boast of being one of the few to use all thirteen authorized grape varieties in the production of its red wine. A wine that is consistently of very high quality, though it faces competition from vintages 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 great 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.

Jancis Robinson

About the wine:

The nose is incredibly juicy, with notes of black tea, leather, and spices. The palate is round, elegant, and opulent. It has great density on the palate. The mid-palate is supple, and the finish is rich and full-bodied. The acidity is good and fresh. The palate is full-bodied but balanced by the freshness of the acidity. Complex and impressive!

James Suckling

About the wine:

A textured, structured, and precise red wine, offering aromas of cherry, raspberry, warm herbs, bay leaves, and cooking spices. It is medium-bodied to full-bodied, with silky, beautifully integrated tannins. Very well-integrated. Lively and concentrated, with plenty of energy and verve to complement the ripe red fruit and dried herbs. The long, savory finish is marked by an intense rush of spices. Made from organically grown grapes. Best enjoyed after 2027.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

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