Presentation
Presentation
The production of white wine at Beaucastel is limited as we only have 7 hectares of white vines planted. The main variety is Roussanne, representing 80% of the blend.
The vintage
The 2011 vintage is a vintage of contrasts. That is to say an unusually hot, dry spring followed by a wet and rainy beginning of July and then an Indian summer lasting until the end of October. Carefully sorting and destemming the harvest allowed for a great vintage, particularly for the late harvest varieties.
Location
Château de Beaucastel has 7 hectares of white varieties.
Terroir
Molasse seabed of the Miocene period covered by diluvial alpine deposits (rolled pebbles).
Ageing
Handpicked in small cases, sorting of the grapes, pneumatic pressing, settling of the juice, fermentation (30% in oak barrels, 70% in tanks) for 8 months. Bottling after 8 months.
Varietals
Roussanne : 80%
Grenache blanc : 15%
Picardan, Clairette, Bourboulenc : 5%
Grenache blanc : 15%
Picardan, Clairette, Bourboulenc : 5%
Advice
Serving
10°C in INAO glasses
Tasting
Beautiful golden yellow colour.
The nose has a lot of minerality with notes of white flowers, honey and marmalade.
The mouth is round and rich in yellow fruits (peaches and apricots) followed by notes of salted butter caramel and a slightly salty finish.
The nose has a lot of minerality with notes of white flowers, honey and marmalade.
The mouth is round and rich in yellow fruits (peaches and apricots) followed by notes of salted butter caramel and a slightly salty finish.
Reviews
"A lush, tropical style, with a lovely core of papaya and creamed peach backed by acacia honey and lightly toasted macadamia nut notes. The long, creamy finish has a beautiful mouthfeel, while the papaya note echoes on."
"The 2011 is sensational, a wine of great complexity, intensity and full-bodied power. Lots of rose petal, marmalade, honeysuckle, candle wax, tangerine and orange rind notes make up this fabulously rich, intense wine that just blows me away every time I taste it in its youth. Whether it ages well or not is always debatable, but I would certainly drink it over the next 4-5 years, given the fact that it is so remarkable already."
"The 2011, with is 80% Roussanne and 20% Grenache blanc vinified in tank, is showing tremendous notes of honeyed grapefruit, white peach, apricot, marmalade, crushed rock and spring flowers. Now these wines are made from earlier harvested grapes and no malolactic, so they should age slightly better and more evenly than they have in the past."
"Bottled. Savoury, almost reminiscent of a Condrieu on the nose. Quite light on the palate – transparent. Doesn’t taste especially strong. Lively and easy rather than especially ‘serious’. "
"Extravagant is the word for this wine, from its sweet floral scents to its saturated texture. A blend of 80 percent roussanne and 20 percent grenache blanc fermented in tank, it’s like an eternal well of flavor, juicy, floral, herbal and spicy. The acidity rides through the flavors like an electric current, invisibly energizing the wine, and promising to hold it strong while it mellows in the cellar. It’s delicious now for a celebratory meal, but should be even more compelling in another six to twelve years, when the minerality has more time to assert its presence."
"This wine takes white Châteauneuf-du-Pape to rare heights. Mouthwatering aromas of toasted nuts and pineapple set the stage for a full-bodied, rich, succulent wine experience whose finish lingers. Yet despite the wine’s undeniable heft, it never seems overly weighty. Drink this blend of 80% Roussanne and 20% Grenache Blanc over the next couple of years."
"Very sleek and refined despite the obvious heft, featuring steeped red and black currant fruit studded with bergamot, blood orange, sweet tobacco and alder notes. The long, racy finish has a lovely echo of singed mesquite."
