Château de Beaucastel - Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc 2023

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.

A rich, ripe vintage with a hint of honeyed hazelnut from the oak. It’s a generous, round wine with deep fruit. The alcohol content seems slightly higher than a typical vintage (even though it’s only 14%), but it has concentration and depth. A slight grapefruit bitterness on the finish. Harvested fairly early this year. Roussanne aged entirely in new and one-year-old barrels.

The 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc from Château de Beaucastel reveals aromas of ripe pear, white flowers, herbs, spices, and hints of fresh thyme. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, round and lively, it is enveloping and generous, with a harmonious texture, gastronomic bitterness, and a long, salty, and fresh finish. Very harmonious, this is a deep and full-bodied Châteauneuf-du-Pape, composed of 80% Roussanne and 20% Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Picardan, and Piquepoul.

This wine is characterized by a lovely freshness. The 80% Roussanne is well integrated, both on the nose and on the palate. Yellow-fleshed fruits dominate, but hints of anise and wisteria add a certain vibrancy. The palate is full-bodied but not soft. The wine is flavorful, with a lovely finish.

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.

The nose offers notes of mandarin and apple peel. It is truly rich, with a density that coats the palate, along with a hint of saltiness and a sensation of freshness—a distinct minerality emerges on the finish to refresh the rich body. The alcohol is well-balanced, and the finish is long and pleasant. Dense and powerful, yet always refreshing.

A textured, dense, silky, and harmonious white blend of Roussanne, White Grenache, Picardan, Bourboulenc, and Clairette. The nose reveals aromas of cooked lemon, verbena, beeswax, wild herbs, and dried spices. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Notes of baked lemon and herbs lend a lively and energetic mid-palate. It is creamy and very textured. Vibrant and long on the finish. Ready to drink now or for aging.

The 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is an exceptional wine, characterized by a brilliant golden color and an irresistible nose of honeyed stone fruits, toasted almonds, floral notes, and caramelized orange. It is medium-bodied to full-bodied, concentrated, with a supple and harmonious palate, and the fresh, elegant style of the vintage.