Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes - 2023

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%

Advice

Serving
14°C in tasting glasses.
Tasting
Superb, deep, intense golden color. Powerful and complex, the nose is particularly seductive, typical of Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, with notes of honey and ripe, slightly stewed fruit such as apricot and peach, underlined by fresh citrus notes. Powerful and complex, the palate continues this rich, opulent character with a silky texture and superb notes of beeswax and citrus, remarkably balanced by a beautiful salinity that brings plenty of freshness. A great vintage of Roussanne, which blossoms wonderfully on this exceptional terroir, particularly balanced by remarkable freshness.