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 vintage started with a long winter and one of the driest ones in the past years followed by an inexistent Spring. The crop development was very slow due to important climatic variations. The winemakers’ work was therefore crucial to get good quality grapes in small quantities. 2013 was a complicated vintage and late but is wonderfully balanced and is very promising.
Location
Châteauneuf du Pape, between Orange and Avignon, Château de Beaucastel red is a
70-hectare vineyard.
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%
Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne : 15%
Counoise : 10%
Syrah : 10%
Cinsault : 5%
Mourvèdre : 30%
Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne : 15%
Counoise : 10%
Syrah : 10%
Cinsault : 5%
Advice
Serving
Around 15°C. If possible, decant the wine.
Tasting
This year Syrah and Mourvedre presented beautifully. Harvested at perfect maturity, the Grenache brings power and body to this vintage. Our 2013 has more of a northern style than southern. Rich, deep colours, the nose has complex notes of black fruit and cocoa, tobacco and mild spices. The mouth is full-‐bodied and long, the tannins are rich and soft with a beautiful persistent finish.
Wine Tasting Video
Reviews
"Solid, with a core of fig and blackberry fruit that fans out steadily from start to finish as lightly singed juniper, tobacco and brick dust notes waft through. Latent acidity holds the finish. Best from 2017 through 2028."
"Looking at the 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape, I was able to taste the individual components, with each showing fantastic depth and richness. The Mourvedre is the star of the show and had blockbuster levels of concentration and depth, with perfectly ripe tannin.
While certainly not a Grenache year, even this variety showed well here, and it’s obvious that the multiple
passes through the vineyard during harvest and then multiple sorts in the winery paid off. This should come together beautifully in bottle and be one of the vintage's strongest efforts."
While certainly not a Grenache year, even this variety showed well here, and it’s obvious that the multiple
passes through the vineyard during harvest and then multiple sorts in the winery paid off. This should come together beautifully in bottle and be one of the vintage's strongest efforts."
"Quite a mouthful of Beaucastel with more warm, figgy fruit than memory generally serves. The surfeited structure can’t be denied but the advanced, occupied territory reminds of 1988. This ’13 may be viewed as acting with similar haste when it will have reached the age of 25, in earth-crusted caramel and sweet fruit scooped from a forest floor. Up until five years before then it will always have ripe red berries, spice accents, anise and the veritable design of garrigue. "
"Opaque ruby. Deep-pitched black and blue fruit liqueur aromas are complemented by suggestions of licorice and cola. Broad, sweet and fleshy, offering concentrated blackberry and boysenberry flavors enlivened by juicy acidity and a peppery spice nuance. Tightens up slowly on the youthfully tannic, focused finish, which clings with resonating spiciness and outstanding tenacity."
"While not the most structured vintage of Beaucastel, this is a full-bodied, creamy textured rendering of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Finely detailed notes of plum, thyme and leather mark the nose, while the flavors are ripe almost to the point of jamminess."
"Another stunner from Famille Perrin. Bright, fresh and elegant with re ned red berry fruit and clean avors of ripe plum and soft spice; shows great aging potential. 30% Grenache, 30% Mouvèdre, 10% Counoise, 10% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, with others."
" The 2013 Château de Beaucastel is drinking marvelously at this juncture. Aromatically bright, this wine reveals provencale herbs, cigar ash, coffee ground and crushed mint aromas that connect with red fruits. Highly structured, with marvelous tension, the wine plays off red currant, pomegranate seed, white truffle and wild blackberry flavors. This is a solid effort in a highly challenging vintage."
