Presentation
Presentation
Château de Beaucastel has long been regarded as one of the greatest wines in France. It is notorious for its elegance, balance and ageing potential. Beaucastel has an exceptional terroir at the Northern limit of Châteauneuf du Pape, exposed to the Mistral wind. All thirteen varieties of the appellation have been organically grown since the sixties.
The vintage
The 2020 vintage in Southern Rhône was favoured by very good weather conditions, it is an optimal vintage, in terms of quality. Not as hot as in 2019, this year was very windy, throughout the growing cycle, with light rainfalls. After a fairly mild winter (one single episode of frost was noted during the night of March 24, but only the early ripening plots were very slightly affected). The spring was radiant, quite warm and very windy, which allowed the soils to preserve their freshness. Flowering began on May 18, under very healthy conditions. The good weather continued in June, July and August, with plenty heat but lower temperatures than in 2019, cool and humid nights and wind which continued to blow, preserving the freshness of the vines and maintaining perfect sanitary conditions for the grapes. The harvest, which was fairly early, therefore began under these very good conditions on August 26 with the white Côtes-du-Rhône and continued until the end of September with the Mourvèdre. September was warm at the beginning of the month and then more temperate, offering idyllic harvest conditions and allowed each plot to be harvested at perfect maturity. The harvest was very healthy with beautiful juicy and very ripe grapes, reasonable alcohol levels, good acidity and already a great balance.
Location
Châteauneuf du Pape, between Orange and Avignon, Château de Beaucastel red is a 70-hectare vineyard.
Terroir
Château de Beaucastel is 110 hectares, with one single plot at the north of the appellation. The terroir is archetypal of the best terroirs in Châteauneuf: rolled pebbles on the surface, sand, clay and limestone deeper down. The vines are old and have been organically grown for 50 years, which has allowed the roots to grow exceptionally deep.
Beaucastel grows all thirteen grape varieties authorized by the appellation.
Beaucastel grows all thirteen grape varieties authorized by the appellation.
Ageing
Each variety is harvested separately and manually. Vinification takes place in oak fermenters for the reductive varieties (Mourvèdre, Syrah) and in traditional enameled concrete tanks for the Oxidative grapes (all the others). Once the malolactic fermentation is finished, the Famille Perrin blends the different varieties. The blend is then aged in oak Foudres for a year before being bottled.
Varietals
Grenache : 30%
Mourvèdre : 30%
Syrah : 15%
Counoise : 10%
Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne : 10%
Cinsault : 5%
Mourvèdre : 30%
Syrah : 15%
Counoise : 10%
Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne : 10%
Cinsault : 5%
Specifications
Advice
Serving
Around 15°C. If possible, decant the wine.
Tasting
Magnificent deep-colour of an intense ruby-red. Typical of Beaucastel, the nose is rich and complex but very fresh, with an opulent aromatic bouquet dominated by notes of fresh fruit and spices. Full,-bodied, soft, eminently silky, this very elegant wine reveals a superb, dense structure on the palate, very fine tannins and gourmet aromas of fresh red fruit, currants and noble spices. The finish has great length, ample and harmonious. A fruity vintage with great aging potential.
Reviews
"Cask sample, tasted at the domaine. What a stunning nose! Piercingly fresh and expressive notes of violet, garrigue and black-olive tapenade. Defined tannins support the fresh zesty mid palate and is all beautifully encased in a toasty cape of dark fruit."
"Fresh and bright nose, then a palate with exceptionally smooth and fine tannins, lovely acidity and notes of blackberry and raspberry juice. Particularly fine, elegant and balanced this year. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre."
"The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape has lots of Mourvèdre character in its bright red and blue fruits as well as spice, pepper, and assorted meaty nuances. With medium to full-bodied richness on the palate, it shows the fresh, elegant, yet still nicely concentrated style of the vintage and is unquestionably another impressive, classic vintage for this cuvée. It should offer some pleasure in its youth as well as evolve for 20+ years in cold cellars."
"Beaucastel's 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape is shaping up as a blend of 30% each Grenache and Mourvèdre, with 10% each Counoise and Syrah, plus 20% other permitted varieties, including a healthy proportion of white grapes. Complex and red-fruited, with hints of flowers and garrigue, it's expansive and richly textured on the palate, finishing long and silky."
"Very dense black-fruit aromas, but also licorice, an entire microcosm of spice and a whiff of smoked bacon. Very dense and meaty with an incredible tannin structure that enables this to be simultaneously very big and elegant. Super-long finish with enormous mineral freshness. Drink or hold."
"Stunning nose, in which deep red-fruit character is married to meaty, spicy, and caramel aromas. Powerful and very well structured, the tannins are still very present, but the overwhelming impression is of elegance. Very long, dry finish with plenty of stony minerality. Gives a very good idea of the direction that the best 2020s will take. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold."
"The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape has lots of Mourvèdre character in its bright red and blue fruits as well as spice, pepper, and assorted meaty nuances. With medium to full-bodied richness on the palate, it shows the fresh, elegant, yet still nicely concentrated style of the vintage and is unquestionably another impressive, classic vintage for this cuvée. It should offer some pleasure in its youth as well as evolve for 20+ years in cold cellars."
"Beaucastel's 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is shaping up as a blend of 30% each Grenache and Mourvèdre, with 10% each Counoise and Syrah, plus 20% other permitted varieties, including a healthy proportion of white grapes. Complex and red-fruited, with hints of flowers and garrigue, it's expansive and richly textured on the palate, finishing long and silky."
"Showing a stunning combination of power and grace, this is just entering its prime. Boasts beautifully integrated layers of red plum, crunchy cherry and dusty thyme, melded with finely crushed graphite and a sultry waft of incense and apple wood smoke. Pleasingly chewy, with tannins holding firm and a cool menthol note on the mineral-rich finish. Large in scale and complex, there's nothing heavy-handed about this wine. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Vaccarèse, Terret Blanc, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul de Pinet, Bourboulenc, Picardan and Roussanne."
