Château de Beaucastel : Oenothèque 2016

Characteristics and tasting tips of the 2016 Oenothèque from Château de Beaucastel

Tasting

Color
Beautiful ruby hue.

Nose
Fresh nose exuding indulgent fragrances of chocolate.

Palate
Broad and fruit-forward, the palate combines delicate tannins stretching into a persistent, expressive finish.

Serving

For optimal enjoyment, it is recommended to decant this wine before tasting at around 59°F (15°C).

The balance and liveliness of a red wine from the Rhône Valley

The estate

Founded in the 16th century, the Château de Beaucastel estate was taken over at the beginning of the 20th century by Pierre Tramier. While his son-in-law, Pierre Perrin, ushered in a new momentum for the domaine, its significant reputation was developed beyond borders thanks to Jacques Perrin. The sons and grandsons of Jacques Perrin still carry on today the quest for excellence of this family estate, which ranks among the finest labels of Rhône Valley wines.

The vineyard

Château de Beaucastel oversees a 110-hectare single-block vineyard to the north of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. Farmed organically since the 1960s, the vines are planted on soils composed of surface pebbles with clay, sand, and limestone in the subsoil.

The wine

Patiently kept in the estate’s cellars, this Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from a 70-hectare vineyard with a mosaic of varieties including grenache, mourvèdre, syrah, counoise, cinsault and others (vaccarèse, terret noir, muscardin, clairette, picpoul, picardan, bourboulenc, roussanne). 

Winemaking and aging

Manual harvest by varietal, as is the vinification, in wooden tronconic vats for the reductive varieties (syrah, mourvèdre) and concrete and enameled sandstone vats for the oxidative varieties (all the others). Malolactic fermentations are followed by blending of the different varieties before aging in oak foudres for one year prior to bottling.

Grape varieties

Grenache (30%), mourvèdre (30%), syrah (15%), counoise (10%), vaccarèse, terret noir, muscardin, clairette, picpoul, picardan, bourboulenc, roussanne (10%) and cinsault (5%).