Château de Beaucastel
About Château de Beaucastel
One of the most impressive and consistently excellent properties in the South of France, Château de Beaucastel is a powerhouse in the ancient appellation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The flagship estate of the famous Perrin family, the might Beaucastel has been the jewel in this dynasty’s crown for a century.
Of course, the property itself is far older, with records of its existence dating back to the 16th century when Pierre de Beaucastel purchased the first plots of land in 1549 upon which the famous vines are found today. Pierre Perrin was the first of his family to take the reins at Château de Beaucastel in 1909, but it was his son Jacques who in fact founded the Perrin business as we understand it and purchased the magical Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate outright.
Viniculture
Implementing a pervasive philosophy at Beaucastel, respect for the transcendent terroir is at the heart of every wine crafted here. The family switched to fully organic farming as early as 1950, whilst the leap to biodynamic was made decades ahead of many others in 1974. Those intimately familiar with Châteauneuf-du-Pape may be interested to know that the Perrins are of the mind that too many of their peers are dominated by Grenache and heavy oak. “It’s all about harnessing Grenache and sublimating it” the well-phrased official approach. The result of the decision to consistently use all 13 traditional (and permitted) Châteauneuf-du-Pape grapes makes this a producer of unrivalled complexity and incredible consistency.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Rhone | 2 | 95-97 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£390.02 |
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Wine Advocate (95-97)Another in a string of top vintages, Beaucastel's 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape was produced from Grenache yields of only eight hectoliters per hectare (normal is about 28 hectoliters per hectare, according to Marc Perrin). The final blend I was shown is almost candied in its fruity intensity of raspberries and cherries, yet it has a potent underpinning of more savory elements, like tapenade, grilled meat and dried spices. Full-bodied, with fine, silky tannins, this shows tremendous length, reverberating with hints of crushed stone on the finish. |
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|
Rhone | 1 | 93-95 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£619.24 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (93-95)The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is all Roussanne and comes from a three-hectare parcel of vines planted in 1901. It offers a heavenly bouquet of white currants, white flowers, honeysuckle, and toasted bread that opens up beautifully with time in the glass. Rich, full-bodied, powerful and concentrated, it stays perfectly balanced on the palate and has that rare sense of richness paired with freshness that’s the hallmark of truly great wines. |
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|
Rhone | 1 | 95-97 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£549.62 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape has slightly less Grenache than normal (10%) and has a Mourvèdre-dominated bouquet of blue fruits, crushed violets, charred meats, and a distinct minerality. This was a challenging vintage, particularly for Grenache, yet this estate has produced a brilliant wine that has medium to full body, a layered, deep, concentrated mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a gorgeous finish. As with most 2018s, it’s going to have plenty of upfront appeal, yet I suspect it will also age gracefully. |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (WCI) |
Inc. VAT
£600.41 |
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The Wine Cellar Insider (100)The wine of the vintage. Compelling in every sense of the word, the wine is incredibly dark in color. The aromatics kick off with an amazing display of spices, herbs, wet earth, leaf, pepper, grilled meat, black raspberry, kirsch and plum notes. The weight, density and intensity on the palate coats your taste receptors, yet retains its lush, silky texture. The seamless finish leaves the 60 second mark in its wake. This should age for decades. |
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|
Rhone | 1 | 100 (WCI) |
Inc. VAT
£708.62 |
|||||
The Wine Cellar Insider (100)The wine of the vintage. Compelling in every sense of the word, the wine is incredibly dark in color. The aromatics kick off with an amazing display of spices, herbs, wet earth, leaf, pepper, grilled meat, black raspberry, kirsch and plum notes. The weight, density and intensity on the palate coats your taste receptors, yet retains its lush, silky texture. The seamless finish leaves the 60 second mark in its wake. This should age for decades. |
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|
Rhone | 2 | 91-93 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£398.46 |
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Wine Advocate (91-93)Tasted as a sample blended from several foudres, the 2018 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel features scents of sun-warmed stones and ripe raspberries. Medium to full-bodied, it's plush and open-knit, already giving a lot of pleasure, and finishing zesty and long. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rhone | 2 | 95-97 (WA) |
In Bond
£308.99 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (95-97)Another in a string of top vintages, Beaucastel's 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape was produced from Grenache yields of only eight hectoliters per hectare (normal is about 28 hectoliters per hectare, according to Marc Perrin). The final blend I was shown is almost candied in its fruity intensity of raspberries and cherries, yet it has a potent underpinning of more savory elements, like tapenade, grilled meat and dried spices. Full-bodied, with fine, silky tannins, this shows tremendous length, reverberating with hints of crushed stone on the finish. |
|||||||||
|
Rhone | 1 | 93-95 (JD) |
In Bond
£500.00 |
|||||
Jeb Dunnuck (93-95)The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is all Roussanne and comes from a three-hectare parcel of vines planted in 1901. It offers a heavenly bouquet of white currants, white flowers, honeysuckle, and toasted bread that opens up beautifully with time in the glass. Rich, full-bodied, powerful and concentrated, it stays perfectly balanced on the palate and has that rare sense of richness paired with freshness that’s the hallmark of truly great wines. |
|||||||||
|
Rhone | 1 | 95-97 (JD) |
In Bond
£450.00 |
|||||
Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape has slightly less Grenache than normal (10%) and has a Mourvèdre-dominated bouquet of blue fruits, crushed violets, charred meats, and a distinct minerality. This was a challenging vintage, particularly for Grenache, yet this estate has produced a brilliant wine that has medium to full body, a layered, deep, concentrated mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a gorgeous finish. As with most 2018s, it’s going to have plenty of upfront appeal, yet I suspect it will also age gracefully. |
|||||||||
|
Rhone | 1 | 100 (WCI) |
In Bond
£495.00 |
|||||
The Wine Cellar Insider (100)The wine of the vintage. Compelling in every sense of the word, the wine is incredibly dark in color. The aromatics kick off with an amazing display of spices, herbs, wet earth, leaf, pepper, grilled meat, black raspberry, kirsch and plum notes. The weight, density and intensity on the palate coats your taste receptors, yet retains its lush, silky texture. The seamless finish leaves the 60 second mark in its wake. This should age for decades. |
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|
Rhone | 1 | 100 (WCI) |
In Bond
£582.50 |
|||||
The Wine Cellar Insider (100)The wine of the vintage. Compelling in every sense of the word, the wine is incredibly dark in color. The aromatics kick off with an amazing display of spices, herbs, wet earth, leaf, pepper, grilled meat, black raspberry, kirsch and plum notes. The weight, density and intensity on the palate coats your taste receptors, yet retains its lush, silky texture. The seamless finish leaves the 60 second mark in its wake. This should age for decades. |
|||||||||
|
Rhone | 2 | 91-93 (WA) |
In Bond
£299.99 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (91-93)Tasted as a sample blended from several foudres, the 2018 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel features scents of sun-warmed stones and ripe raspberries. Medium to full-bodied, it's plush and open-knit, already giving a lot of pleasure, and finishing zesty and long. |