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B-21 Top Recommendation
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"... yet another outstanding red Beaucastel with the potential to match or even outperform the delicious 2022." - Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous
One of the most anticipated Rhône releases in any vintage is Beaucastel's reference-point Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and the 97-point 2023 delivers everything we expect from this iconic estate. The warm, dry growing season provided optimal conditions for all the estate's varietals to excel and the finished wine is classic Beaucastel in all respects. Jeb Dunnuck notes, "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." The year saw a higher-than-usual Mourvedre content in the blend, so you can count on this rendition to cruise in the cellar, but the freshness and vibrancy of the Grenache components (with help of the highly aromatic Terret Nori, Vaccarese, and Muscardin) make it a true charmer right out of the gate. James Suckling's Rhône critic Stuart Pigott declares it "full-bodied but with a lightness of touch. Then the power and stony intensity pour over you in a giant wave. The freshness is extraordinary for this hot and dry vintage." In other words, one of France's leading wine estates hit another home run, and collectors can add this superb rendition to their cellars for a razor-sharp price.
While you wait for the Châteauneuf to come around, you can also stock up on the 2023 Coudoulet de Beaucastel. Reflecting its well-earned reputation as "the Baby Beaucastel," the 2023 Coudoulet de Beaucastel is a solidly built, age-worthy Côtes-du-Rhône that takes the category a step up in terms of quality, character, and pedigree – the Coudoulet vines lie just on the "wrong side" of the road from Beaucastel's official Châteauneuf parcels, so the moniker isn't just a trope. Soils, micro-climates, and vine heritage are all similar, so the Coudoulet wine always offers glimpses of its world-class terroir. This JS93 "solid, focused, juicy and poised wine" is picture-perfect introduction to the vintage at Beaucastel.
Finally, as icing on the cake, serious collectors shouldn't miss a chance to add a monumental vintage of the legendary Hommage à Jacques Perrin to their cellars at unbeatable pricing. The 2022 Hommage is a triple 98-point masterpiece and collectible cornerstone that sets the bar for the appellation and the vintage. "Combining mind-boggling intensity with impressive verticality, the full-bodied 2022 is one of the wines of the vintage," notes Nicolas Greinacher of Vinous. Yohan Castaing's own 98-point Wine Advocate review likewise calls it "a spectacular and immense wine ... [and] a must-have for collectors and enthusiasts." With the amply seductive style of the vintage, it's also likely to give off serious fireworks right now if you're the impatient type. Either way, this is a no-brainer opportunity for anyone who's serious about the world's greatest collectible wines.
At every stage of the hierarchy and every price tier, Beaucastel proves its mettle time and time again, and these latest releases are unequivocal gems for any fan of Southern Rhône's best wines. |
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Dense licorice and forest berry aromas mask the deep tannin structure of this Chateauneuf-du-Pape masterpiece. Full-bodied but with a lightness of touch. Then the power and stony intensity pour over you in a giant wave. The freshness is extraordinary for this hot and dry vintage. Serious tannins in the very long, compact and refined finish. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.
97 points, Stuart Pigott, James Suckling (Apr 2025)
The estate lost some Grenache due to shatter, so the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape is based on 40% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Counoise, 10% Syrah, and the rest a mix of permitted varieties. It was all destemmed except for the Syrah and brought up in foudre. The higher Mourvèdre component gives it a more serious, focused style than most in the vintage, and it has darker blackberry fruits intermixed with roasted herbs, spring flowers, violets, and some meaty nuances on the nose. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a deep, pure, layered mouthfeel, it has ripe, velvety, yet building tannins and a great finish. Another beautiful vintage for this cuvée, it has the approachable style of the vintage yet brings more than enough density and concentration to evolve for 30 years. Drink 2025-2054.
96 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Nov 2025)
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.
96 points, Matt Walls, Decanter (Sep 2024)
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