Château de Beaucastel

Château de Beaucastel represents one of the cellar-symbols of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a wine from the Southern Rhône that has written the oenological history of the region. The historical roots of Château de Beaucastel date back at least to 1549, the year in which a document was issued stating that Pierre de Beaucastel purchased a barn with adjoining land in Coudoulet. Since 1909, this winery has been successfully run by the Perrin family, the current owners, who have had the merit of making Château de Beaucastel a wine reference point for the whole of France. The headquarters of the winery, managed today by siblings Jean-Pierre and Françoise Perrin, is located in Courthézon, a commune situated a few kilometres south-east of the town of Orange.

The extensive Château de Beaucastel estate is spread over 100 hectares of vineyards, rooted on soils rich in sandstone and pebbles known locally as 'galets'. The climate is particularly warm and sunny, but characterised by considerable temperature swings between day and night and the constant presence of winds that have almost imposed the bush-training system. The pebbles then play a key role in thermal regulation, as at night they release the heat accumulated during the day. The vineyards, run under a certified organic system supplemented by biodynamic practices, are planted exclusively to the thirteen traditional vines: Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Vaccarese, Counoise, Terret Noire, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc and Roussanne. The harvest is carried out strictly by hand, accompanied by strict sorting of the grapes, which are then destemmed and vinified in the traditional manner separately for each variety. After blending, which respects the identity of each plot and grape, the wine is placed to age in oak barrels for at least a year.

The Château de Beaucastel winery is the creator of award-winning labels that rank among the world's oenological gotha, especially the iconic Châtenaueuf-du-Pape 'Hommage a Jacques Perrin' and 'Roussanne Vieilles Vignes'. In addition, the estate is one of the few to use all thirteen grape varieties allowed by the specifications to make its Châtenaueuf-du-Pape Rouge, a label that aims to sublimate the characteristics of each variety by letting them express themselves in the glass.