Chateau de Beaucastel

Château de Beaucastel is a wine producer in Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the southern Rhône. It makes some of the most famous wines in the whole of the Rhône Valley, from a classic southern Rhône blend which includes Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, as well as the lesser-known Counoise and Cinsaut varieties.

In 1549, Pierre de Beaucastel bought a barn and a plot of vineyards and inscribed his family's crest onto the walls. The land passed through the family until 1909, when it came under control of scientist Pierre Perrin. Today, Perrin's grandsons Jean-Pierre and François run the château.

The estate is located in the northeast corner of the appellation. There are around 100 hectares (250 acres) planted to vine, three-quarters of which is used to make Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC wines. Château de Beaucastel has all 13 of the permitted grape varieties planted in the vineyard, giving the winemaking team a choice of fruit at harvest. The vines, which are up to 50 years old, are planted on a combination of sandstone, rocks and limestone, which drain freely, helping the vines produce concentrated berries.

The grapes are hand-picked and are vinified in groups to provide consistency for blending, and oak is used sparingly. Château de Beaucastel's flagship Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine is predominantly made from Grenache and Mourvèdre, with a range of other grape varieties, including a portion of white grapes. There is also a Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc, which is made predominantly from Roussanne with Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc. Château de Beaucastel also makes a top varietal Roussanne, and a top Mourvèdre-based red wine called Hommage à Jacques Perrin in honor of the current proprietors' father.