2023 Chateau de Beaucastel Rouge, Chateauneuf-du-Pape

A tasting of the constituent parts this year, so this is a provisional score. The Terret Noir, Muscardin and Vaccarèse were fermented together; they provide the more fragrant top notes, bright and attractive if not deep. The Cinsault was perfumed and fresh, with fine tannins. The Counoise was more savoury, with more depth and tannin; tense and saline, and spicy thanks to 50% whole-bunch fermentation. The Grenache was soft and supple, fairly dark in colour, quite structured, with impressive freshness, tannins and acidity. The Syrah was deep, intense, black-fruited and peppery – quite potent in alcohol, with intense tannins. The Mourvèdre will be 30% of the blend, contributing mouthcoating, deep and succulent tannins, plenty of flesh and quite high alcohol. The overall impression is a deliciously rich and ripe Beaucastel, not as structured as the 2022, that is likely to score around 95-96 once blended and bottled.

I was able to taste multiple components of the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape, all of which rated between 93-96 points. It has the purity, medium to full-bodied richness, and ripe, yet still fresh and lively style of the vintage and brings plenty of mid-palate depth, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It's going to be a relatively forward example of this cuvée, yet given its high Mourvèdre content, it should still have 15-20 years of overall longevity.

César Perrin poured me various different samples to convey an approximate idea of what the final blend of the 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape will taste like. A foudre that blends 50% Grenache with the remainder equally divided between Counoise and Cinsaut showed subtle spice, licorice and forest strawberry alongside gentle tannins. Another sample mingling Terret Noir, Muscardin and Vaccarèse presented excellent freshness, while the subsequent single-varietal Grenache snippet was totally alluring. A Syrah portion that used 50% whole clusters during fermentation provided minty shadings, stemminess and, again, very smooth tannins. Finally, a single-varietal Mourvèdre sample brought structure and fleshiness to the table. All in all, readers can look forward to yet another outstanding red Beaucastel with the potential to match or even outperform the delicious 2022.

As usual, the 2023 Chateauneuf du Pape from Château de Beaucastel was matured in foudres. Wafting from the glass with aromas of pepper, garrigue, dark berries and flowers, it’s medium- to full-bodied, round and sappy, with a layered core of fruit and a dense, precise mid-palate framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a firmer, gently spicy finish.

80% Roussanne, 15% Grenache Blanc, 5% Picardan, Clairette, Bourboulenc. Tangerine and apple-skin notes on the nose. There is real richness here, a mouth-coating density, a salinity and sense of freshness – a real minerality comes through on the finish to refresh the rich core. The alcohol is balanced and there is a lovely long finish. Dense and powerful but always refreshing. (AC)