Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet Rouge 2020

The 30 hectares of Coudoulet are located just east of the vineyard of Beaucastel on the other side of the A7 motorway. For reasons that have now become obvious, Coudoulet is often considered the baby Beaucastel. The Coudoulet soil has many similarities to that of Beaucastel. It is made out of Molasse seabed covered by diluvial alpine deposits. These pebbles called “Galets Roulés” play a big role: They take in the heat during the day and let it if off slowly at night which gives a good start to the vines in the Spring.

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.

30 hectares in Côtes-du-Rhône.

Molasse seabed of the Miocene period covered by diluvial alpine deposits (rolled pebbles), identical to the vineyard of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Each variety is harvested manually and separately, then sorted in the cellar. The harvest is heated to 80°C (skins) and then cooled down to 20°C. Classic maceration occurs in cement tanks for 12 days. Pressing in pneumatic presses. Blending of the different varietals after malolactic fermentation. Ageing in Oak Foudres for 6 months.