When people talk about the wines of the southern Rhône today, especially those from the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation, it is primarily thanks to one producer - Château de Beaucastel. Hardly anyone has done more in recent decades to ensure that today many a Châteauneuf-du-Pape is counted among the greatest wines in France and could easily stand alongside the 1er Crus from Bordeaux.
Château de Beaucastel is mentioned by name as early as 1549, when Pierre de Beaucastel built the estate house near Coudoulet. At that time it was an agricultural holding and not a winery. However, the reputation of the chateau was such that even Louis XIV paid a visit to the estate.
The first steps in the direction of viticulture were taken at the beginning of the French Revolution in 1792, but the real beginning of the success story in viticulture in the southern Rhône dates back to 1909 and is closely associated with the name of Jacques Perrin. Today, the Perrin family cultivates about 100 hectares of certified organic vineyards, about 75 hectares of which are dedicated only to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the rest to the Cotes-du-Rhône provenance.
The secret of the exceptional quality of the wines here in the north of the region lies in the interaction of soil and climate, the sandstone terroir and the cooling influence of the mistral. On the surface lie those stones, the famous "galets", which radiate heat to the vines on cool nights and thus play a crucial role. Château de Beaucastel cultivates all 13 grape varieties approved for Chateuneuf-du-Pape in the vineyard, but the emphasis is on Mourvèdre, unlike most other producers.
The red wines are deep, complex and long-lived, while the whites are among the best in France and can compete with the greatest Burgundies.
