Château de Beaucastel is the most historically significant and internationally celebrated estate in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, farming its vineyards biodynamically and maintaining all thirteen permitted grape varieties of the appellation with a commitment to the complexity and longevity of their wines that distinguishes Beaucastel from virtually every other Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer. The 2022 rouge received 97 points from James Suckling, 96 points from Decanter, 94 points each from Wine Advocate and Vinous, representing one of the strongest multi-publication performances in the estate’s recent history and confirming the 2022 as one of the finest Beaucastel red vintages of the past decade. James Suckling described the wine as “textured, layered and precise” with “cherries, raspberries, warm herbs, bay leaves and baking spices,” lively and focused with “plenty of energy and verve complementing the ripe red fruit and dried herbs.” Wine Advocate described it as “deep and dense” with “dark wild berries, dark cherries, spices and licorice.” In the 1.5L magnum format, with its ideal ageing conditions and slower development profile, this wine will develop far more completely and over a longer period than the equivalent 75cl expression.

The 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape growing season was warm and produced wines of exceptional concentration and aromatic richness from the appellation’s finest estate vineyards. For Beaucastel, whose biodynamically farmed old vines on the appellation’s most northerly plateau of galets roulés and clay-limestone subsoil consistently produce wines of outstanding natural balance and ageing potential, the 2022’s warmth translated into a wine of considerable power and fruit depth alongside the freshness and peppery herb character that the estate’s Mourvèdre-rich blend and ancient vines reliably contribute. The blend, dominated by Mourvèdre and Grenache and including all thirteen appellation varieties, provides the structural depth and aromatic complexity that distinguishes Beaucastel from the more Grenache-dominant producers in the appellation.

A 1.5L magnum of 2022 Beaucastel Rouge, with its four-publication consensus around scores of 94-97 points, is among the finest and most complete Southern Rhône fine wine acquisitions available in the magnum format. Beaucastel’s combination of extraordinary historical prestige, multi-publication critical recognition and the optimal ageing conditions of the larger format makes this a genuinely compelling acquisition for any serious Châteauneuf-du-Pape collection.

Deep ruby with a complex and structured nose of ripe cherry, raspberry, dark berry, warm Provençal herbs, bay leaf, baking spices, pepper and the earthy-mineral depth of Beaucastel’s ancient galets roulés plateau. Full-bodied with well-structured tannins, excellent natural acidity and a long, herb-edged, spiced, mineral finish of considerable persistence. Best from 2028 through 2055.

A textured, layered, precise red, showcasing aromas of cherries, raspberries, warm herbs, bay leaves and baking spices. Medium- to full-bodied with silty, beautifully melted tannins. So integrated. Lively and focused, with plenty of energy and verve complementing the ripe red fruit. — James Suckling

The 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape from Château de Beaucastel evokes aromas of dark wild berries, dark cherries, spices and licorice mingled with a touch of chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, deep and dense, perfectly balanced with a structured, textured and seamless mid-palate. — Wine Advocate