From: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France
Varietal: 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, and the rest a mix of permitted varieties
Critical Acclaim and Tasting Notes:
97 points James Suckling
"So much ripe damson-plum and blackberry fruit, but also notes of licorice, candied ginger and baking spices. In spite of all the considerable power and concentration, this is anything but loud or domineering, rather it tastes very poised and precise. Very long finish with pronounced stony character." (4/2022)
96 points Decanter
"Immediately rich and damson-scented with a shot of cassis running through it. A medium-bodied, very classic vintage with good freshness. Has a good sense of weight and drive, not endlessly deep like 2017 or 2016 but perfectly balanced. Should age well into the medium, if not long term, but what's more important is that it's extremely delicious, balanced and fresh. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. A little less Syrah this year. (MW)" (10/2020)
96 points Jeb Dunnuck
"The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape is the usual blend of roughly 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, and the rest a mix of permitted varieties that was brought up in foudre. It offers a vivid ruby/purple hue as well as stunning aromatics of blueberries, violets, peppered beef, leather, and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and elegant, it has just a kiss of classic Beaucastel wild, sauvage nuances, ripe, silky tannins, and a great finish. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two decades. 96+" (11/2021)
96 points Wine Spectator
"This is pretty gorgeous, with a remarkably pure display of cassis, cherry puree and plum reduction flavors laced ever so gently with threads of leather, alder and dried garrigue. The sleek iron spine is buried deeply on the finish, and there’s a lingering hint of warm stone as the fruit echoes through. Built to last. (JM) *#8 Wine of the Year 2022*" (1/2022)
95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"The dark-fruited, plummy and cola-scented 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape is a rich, full-bodied effort reminiscent of the 2007 or 2009. Dense, powerful and savory, it may drink well for a short time on release, but expect it to close up shortly, only to reemerge in several years. There's ample concentration and sufficient tannins for the long haul, with a long, dusty finish and hints of licorice that bode well for the future. (JC)" (5/2022)
95 points Vinous
"Powerful, mineral-accented cherry, blackberry, licorice and -garrigue- scents, along with a hint of candied flowers. Deep, penetrating and alluringly sweet, offering cherry liqueur, dark berry, lavender, exotic spice and cola flavors that are given spine by a core of juicy acidity. In a concentrated yet lively, fluid style. Finishes extremely long and precise, with building tannins and a powerful echo of spiciness and florality. (JR)" (10/2021)
Jancis Robinson
"Cask sample, tasted at the domaine. What a stunning nose! Piercingly fresh and expressive notes of violet, garrigue and black-olive tapenade. Defined tannins support the fresh zesty mid palate and is all beautifully encased in a toasty cape of dark fruit. 18/20 points (AC)" (10/2020)
Pairing: Châteauneuf-du-Pape is high in alcohol, and full-bodied. So you’ll want to keep Châteauneuf-du-Pape away from spicy dishes with heat, such as hot and spicy curry dishes, Mexican cuisine with hot sauces/salsas, or face melting Pastas dishes loaded with chili flakes. Instead, stick to warm or boldly spices such as mint, rosemary, or clove, like you’d find in a Braised Lamb Shank dish. Hearty mushroom dishes, rich pan sauces, roasted root vegetables, and all things meaty are excellent partnered with this Châteauneuf-du-Pape blend. These Persian-Spiced Lamb Shanks by David Tanis are amazing, and can be prepared a couple days ahead if you want to deliver an amazing meal, but be free to visit!
About: From the Winemaker-
We can find the first evidence of Château de Beaucastel as it exists today in the sixteenth century. In 1549, Pierre de Beaucastel bought a « barn with a plot of land extending to 52 saumées at Coudoulet . The manor house will be built then with the arms of Beaucastel sculpted on a stone wall of the drawing room.
In 1687, Pierre de Beaucastel was appointed Capitaine de la ville de Courthezon by Louis XIV, in recognition of his conversion to Catholicism. Louis XIV's letter, also signed by Colbert, is still visible at the Château.
In 1909, Pierre Tramier leads the wine estate and then transfers it to his son-in-law Pierre Perrin, a scientist that developed Beaucastel. Then Jacques Perrin continued his father efforts until 1978 and gave its noble letters to this wine.
Today, the torch is being carried by Jean-Pierre and François, Jacques Perrin's sons that continue the beautiful story of Château de Beaucastel. Marc, Pierre, Thomas, Cécile, Charles, Matthieu and César, the 5th generation, work today all together with them. Beaucastel is, first of all, a family story, the story of Famille Perrin. Their main strength is being able to blend the talents of each family member to run the wine estate under common values: absolute respect for land and terroir, biodynamic culture as a philosophy of life, the research of truth, balance and elegance.
Beaucastel's terroir is marked by the Rhone violence. It is made with a layer of marine molasses (sandstone) from the Miocene period, covered by alpine alluvium. The presence of a great number of rounded stones, known as galets, bear evidence of the time when the Rhone, a torrent at this time, tore fragments of rocks from the Alps and deposited them along its course.
The meso-climate plays an important role with a low rainfall, beautiful sunshine and spectacular temperature differences. Here, the galets make an essential contribution to the quality of the vintage: they retain the heat of the day and radiate it to the vines during the night. The Mistral wind
that blows through the very old vines, with gnarled roots, dries and clean the
vines planted in the traditional style called "gobelet".
