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, 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.
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."
