Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Beaucastel, Famille Perrin 2021 - Half

The Beaucastel estate sits near the small commune of Courthézon in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and has a long history, having been in the Beaucastel family since 1687 when it was given to them by King Louis XIV.

Since 1909 it has been in the safe and capable hands of the Perrin family, with Jean-Pierre and François in charge since 1978. After 40 vintages 2018 was officially François’ last, and his thirty-two year old son, César, (who has just married a Brunier of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe!) is now at the helm. A true farmer, César shuns paperwork in favour of the vineyards and has completed vintages in Argentina, Australia, Bordeaux and Burgundy (at Romanée Conti). The Perrin family produce some of the longest lived wines of the Rhône Valley, and are great believers in respecting the land and surroundings in which they farm and, as such, have farmed biodynamically since the 1970s, though this is not stated on the label; they are organically certified. Unlike many of its neighbours, Grenache is not the dominant grape here but rather they have a relatively high proportion of Mourvèdre and use all of the 13 permitted varietals. Big plans are in place for renovating the winery to become self-sustaining – recycling water, using solar and wind energy, and reusing the materials from their own ground. White wines account for 7% of their production. Beyond Beaucastel the Perrin family also own and run a négoçiant business including brands such as the very reliable Famille Perrin wines.