2020 Chateau de Beaucastel Rouge, Chateauneuf-du-Pape

At the moment the aromatics are mostly centred around nutty oak and appealing scents of millefeuille pastry. Gently oily in texture, medium- to full-bodied, with a lovely sense of precision. Great freshness, perfect balance, all very tightly wound for now - sure it's lovely, but what we're tasting now is its potential, not the finished item. Will be an outstanding white Beaucastel in time - but wait. 80% Roussanne, 10% Grenache Blanc and Clairette, 10% Piquepoul Blanc, Picardan and Bourboulenc. Part of the blend was matured in 2- and 3-year-old barriques for a year.

Beaucastel's 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape is shaping up as a blend of 30% each Grenache and Mourvèdre, with 10% each Counoise and Syrah, plus 20% other permitted varieties, including a healthy proportion of white grapes. Complex and red-fruited, with hints of flowers and garrigue, it's expansive and richly textured on the palate, finishing long and silky.

The 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape displays pronounced aromas of ripe forest strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, licorice, mint, cured meat, dried herbs and hints of tobacco. On the palate it is full-bodied, concentrated, muscular and framed by polished tannins. Lively acids perfectly balance it, ending with excellent persistence on the savory finish. Producing this high level of quality with a whopping 180,000 bottles is remarkable in the context of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Now from bottle, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape shows the supple, layered style of the vintage. Red and black fruits, leafy herbs, spring flowers, spice, and some meaty notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a supple, layered mouthfeel and ripe, almost velvety tannins. One of the stalwarts of the appellation, Château de Beaucastel continues to produce an incredible array of wines from their estate in the northwestern edge of the appellation. Looking at the vintages reviewed here, the 2022s are ripe, sexy wines that bring to mind 2019 or even 2009. The whites are absolutely brilliant, and while only tasted from barrel, the 2022s will certainly be incredible wines. The 2021s also showed well and possess more depth and density than most in the vintage. In general, Mourvèdre seemed more challenging in 2021, but you certainly wouldn’t have that impression after tasting at Beaucastel. The closest comparison here for the 2021s would be the 2008s, which are balanced, elegant wines that are still drinking beautifully today. The 2021s should be a step up in quality, although I suspect they will evolve along a similar trajectory. Lastly, the estate is wrapping up a massive renovation of the cellar that was built with sustainability front and center and will be using an evaporative cooling mechanism with stored rainwater.

Blend of all 13 permitted varieties with a bias towards Grenache and Mourvèdre: 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, 5% Cinsault, 15% of the other p ermitted varieties. Cask sample. Piercing fresh fruit, both red and blue fruits. Juicy and has delineated and fine chalky tannins. Good fruit intensity and has crushed red fruits, sweet spice and well-judged acidity. Clean and layered long finish. (AC)