Presentation
Presentation
Considered as one of the greatest white wines in France, only 6000 bottles of this wine are produced. It's made with 100% very old Roussanne vines and harvested slightly over ripe. This exceptional wine must be drunk within 3 years or after 15 years. To be enjoyed with gastronomic cuisine.
The vintage
With fairly standard but slightly late weather conditions, the 2023 vintage is showing great potential with superb freshness. The fairly dry winter was followed by a relatively humid spring but with wind allowing to maintain good health. Budburst was a little late and this slight shift in the vine cycle lasted until the harvest. The summer was quite dry, and slightly cooler allowing the grapes to ripen nicely, despite a short heat wave in mid-August which completed the ripening of the berries. The harvest began on August 24th for the whites and on the 28th for the reds, and took place in idyllic conditions until September 5th. With magnificent berries, the vatting was quite short with great extractions. The first tastings reveal wines with great potential and astonishing freshness.
Location
Château de Beaucastel has 7 hectares planted with white varieties.
Terroir
Molasse seabed of the Miocene period covered by diluvial alpine deposits (rolled pebbles).
Ageing
The grapes are hand picked in small cases and sorted, pneumatically pressed. Settling of the juices and fermentation (30% in oak, 70% tanks). Bottled after 8 months.
Varietal
Roussanne : 100%
Specifications
Advice
Serving
14°C in tasting glasses.
Tasting
Superb golden colour, deep and luminous. The nose, of great complexity, reveals intense aromas of roasted apricots, honey, toffee and acacia flowers, subtly enhanced by spicy notes of cloves and ginger. On the palate, the wine is very elegant, rich, powerful and airy, with a silky texture and remarkable freshness. Flavors of candied citrus, melted butter and white truffles intertwine with wilder touches of undergrowth and exotic fruit like pineapple. A delicate salinity and a slight bitterness perfectly balance the generosity of this wine. A unique vintage, of remarkable elegance, which aptly illustrates the finesse and depth of this emblematic cuvée from our old Roussanne vines, which flourish wonderfully on this exceptional terroir.
Reviews
"Slightly reduced and nutty with a note of oak on the nose. A real intensity on the palate with superb definition and richness, this is supremely concentrated – mandarin skin and almond husk throughout with nutty, ripe russet apple and jasmine. Long, incredibly rich and refined. Wonderful. Drink 2029 – 2050"
"Prominent lime flesh, ripe pear, lemon peel, saffron, herbal tea and a dash of wet stone shape the gorgeous 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes. Showing off with class and refinement, the 2023 hums with life. Walking off the stage with a bold yet flawlessly elegant finish, this is a gorgeous Roussanne Vieilles Vignes that matches the quality of the equally enticing 2022 I tasted earlier this year."
"A stunning, precise, ample and textured roussanne, proposing aromas of dried lemon, dried mango, anise, wild herbs, verbena and some mild spices as well. It’s medium- to full-bodied with an oily texture. It’s round, suave and harmonious. Delicious and flavorful with layers. Vibrant with a vivid herbal and baked-lemon character providing plenty of vitality and verve. A brilliant expression on old-vine roussanne with so much focus and poise. Long finish. Drink or hold."
"There are roughly 600 cases of the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, a 100% Roussanne from very old vines brought up 50% new oak and 50% once-used. It too is flat-out awesome, with honeyed quince, green almond, white flowers, orange liqueur, and a liqueur of rocks-like minerality. It's full-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, fabulous concentration, and a finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. If you see it, buy it. I don’t see this being the longest-lived vintage of this cuvée, but who cares? It’s sensational stuff."
"Attractive, fresh and open, with honeyed apricot and mango notes. It's full-bodied, but not massive by any means, and the acidity is low, as usual with this cuvée, with a positive, bitter grapefruit note. Lovely generous nature to the body, along with a good feeling of balance. Long and fresh, with gentle inner tension. From a single parcel of Roussanne, planted in 1919 and grown biodynamically. Aged in one-year-old demi-muids and barriques."
