Château de Beaucastel - Châteauneuf-du-Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes 2016

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Since 1909, Beaucastel has been owned by the Perrin family, now under the management of Jean-Pierre and François, the sons of Jacques Perrin, accompanied by Cécile, Marc, Pierre, Thomas, Charles, Mathieu, and César, the fifth generation. In other words, it's a family affair! Located on 100 hectares of rounded pebbles, including 30 hectares in Côtes du Rhône (Coudoulet de Beaucastel), Château Beaucastel produces four wines. In white, a classic cuvée dominated by Roussanne, and the famous Roussanne-Vieilles-Vignes cuvée. In red, Mourvèdre plays a major role, accounting for nearly a third of the plantings, as much as Grenache. This unusual proportion was strategic in 2018 and allowed Beaucastel to achieve its characteristic finesse and freshness. This is undoubtedly one of the finest wine estates in France, with, in our opinion, an added purity in recent years.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

This wine is produced from a 3-hectare plot of Roussanne planted in 1909. The 2016 Châteauneuf du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes takes the quality of Beaucastel's traditional whites and elevates it to another level. Caramelized pineapple sounds sweet and cloying, but that's not the case when it's supported by superb texture, citrus zest, and a salty sensation in a finish that never ends. As it was the last wine of the tasting at the estate, we found it difficult to spit it out.

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

About wine:

In this 2016 vintage from old vines, the nose takes on the richness provided by the Roussanne grape, but with a fruitiness that, while mature, does not become overly sweet. Long and broad on the palate, it has a lovely salty finish. A wine with beautiful length and delicate bitter notes.

About the estate:

With its unique terroir of rounded pebbles, Château de Beaucastel is one of the emblems of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This estate can boast of being one of the few to use all thirteen authorized grape varieties to produce its red wine. The wine is consistently of a very high standard, but faces competition from other vintages that have shaken up the appellation's hierarchy. Of course, the extremely rare and remarkable Hommage à Jacques Perrin vintage, made predominantly from Mourvèdre and produced only in great years, remains a benchmark, as does the sumptuous Roussanne Vieilles Vignes white, which reveals itself over time. Under the efficient management of the Perrin family, Château de Beaucastel remains a benchmark for wines from the south of France, a status it now shares with other estates that have reached or even surpassed its level.