Beaucastel Roussanne Vieilles Vignes 2009

The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes (Roussanne) is a staggering wine of extraordinary complexity and richness. Aromas of rose petals, exotic fruits such as mango and nectarine intermixed with peach marmalade, honeysuckle and crushed pineapple emerge from this full-bodied white along with good acidity and lavish amounts of fruit and glycerin. It offers a nearly out of body wine tasting experience. 100/100 The Wine Advocate.

The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes (Roussanne) is a staggering wine of extraordinary complexity and richness. Aromas of rose petals, exotic fruits such as mango and nectarine intermixed with peach marmalade, honeysuckle and crushed pineapple emerge from this full-bodied white along with good acidity and lavish amounts of fruit and glycerin. It offers a nearly out of body wine tasting experience. 100/100 erobertparker.com

Chateau de Beaucastel

Château de Beaucastel, arguably, the best estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is owned by François and Jean-Pierre Perrin. It is certainly the longest-lived wine from the whole of the Southern Rhône, ageing well for 20 or more years in a top vintage such as 1998, 1999, 2000 or 2001. However, it is atypical for the appellation. Of all the estates in the region, Beaucastel is one of only three to plant and vinify all thirteen grape varieties permitted by the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation regulations and includes a whopping 30-35% Mourvèdre in its red wine, matching the contribution from Grenache in the final blend.

Chateau de Beaucastel has a long tradition of winemaking, reaching back to the 16th century, when ‘Noble Pierre de Beaucastel’ bought a barn with its plot of land extending to 50 ‘saumees’ at Coudoulet. Today the Chateau is looked after by the 4th generation of Perrins, to whom the property passed at the start of the 20th century.
 

 Today the estate covers a total of 130 hectares. Of which 100 are planted to vines. The Perrins practice organic farming, reducing preventive treatments to a minimum. At Beaucastel, they still use all 13 varieties of grapes authorized in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation. The grapes are hand-picked and only the best grapes make it through to vinification. After total de-stemming, grapes undergo a traditional fermentation. All grape varieties are vinified separately to preserve their individual character, blended and aged in large oak barrels for 12 months.

"Chateau de Beaucastel has become the leading estate at Chateuneuf-du-Pape and is now in a class of its own"
(John Livingstone-Learmonth, The Wines of the Rhone, Faber & Faber)
 

 The star wine is undoubtedly the Chateauneuf-du-Pape which remains one of the most collectable wines of the Southern Rhone. There is also a tiny production of ‘Hommage a Jacques Perrin’ which we are able to allocate to our waiting list clients. And don’t overlook the whites. The Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is around 80% Roussanne and 20% Grenache Blanc, from vines of 10 – 40 years old. 30% of the wine is fermented in barrels and the remainder in temperature controlled stainless steel vats. Perhaps the real “show stopper” is the white made from Roussane Vieilles Vignes – vines that are 75 years old. It is one of the great white wines of the world.