Château de Beaucastel 2022

Matured 100% in foudres, 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, it’s perfectly balanced with a structured, textured and seamless mid-palate enhanced by velvety tannins and a peppery, delicate and long finish. Cesar Perrin is aiming to reduce the percentage of Syrah in favor of Counoise, so this harmonious Beaucastel, matured in foudres, is a blend of 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, 10% Counoise, 5% Cinsault, 5% Terret Noir, 5% Muscardin, 5% Vaccarèse and 20% of white grapes, such as Roussanne and Clairette.

Dark and inky in colour this year. It’s fresh in its berry fruits, really quite powerful, with muscular tannins and driving acidity behind. A dense, dark and brooding vintage of Beaucastel. The aromatic precision, however, is extremely impressive: elderberry, sloe and blackberry. It’s solid and will age well. Do not drink this young, as it will likely disappoint if opened too early. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudres. Syrah and Counoise are whole-bunch fermented.

Intense orange rind, forest strawberry, melted licorice, black cherry and spice box introduce the delicious 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Since I last tasted it from barrel, the 2022 has mellowed significantly, now packing ripe and refined tannins that provide solid yet gentle structure to this full-bodied, finessed red Beaucastel. Finishing focused and long, this comes highly recommended.

Elegant, sweet, juicy, and fresh, there is a purity to the sweet kirsch that defines the wine. The finish focuses on its mineral characteristics that accompany raspberries, kirsch, and cherries. This is a knockout wine for the vintage. Drink from 2027–2042.

The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape is some serious Provençal goodness, with just about overflowing aromas and flavors of sweet raspberries, blackberries, peppery garrigue, and Provençal spices. It has the sunny, expressive, complex style of the vintage, medium to full-bodied richness, ripe tannins, and a great finish. As with most 2022s, it has plenty of upfront charm yet solid underlying tannins as well. It reminds me slightly of the 2009 and will have two decades of longevity.

Expressive fruit with notes of black fruits and garrigue. The Mourvèdre makes its presence known and brings menthol notes. The palate has quality chew, generous volume, and a tannin framework that lends tension to a powerful whole. Ripe yet fresh, this is a quintessential age-worthy wine.