Château de Beaucastel

In the year 1321, in the time of Pope John XXII, four casks from the papal cellar arrived in Châteauneuf to be filled with wine; that was how the story started of "du-Pape" wine. The history of the Château de Beaucastel, located in the most northerly part of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC, dates back to 1549, when Pierre de Beaucastel bought a barn and some land in Coudoulet.

The winery has belonged to the Perrin family since 1909, and today the project is under the direction of Jean-Pierre and François, sons of the legendary Jacques Perrin. In fact, this is the entire fifth generation of the Perrin family joining forces to keep the Beaucastel legend perpetually growing.

Respect for nature is vital in the vineyards. Back in 1950, they made a start on working organically and in 1974 they went a step further by embracing the organic culture. The famous galets (pebbles), rock fragments which the descending water brings down from the Alps, keep the soil damp and retain heat during the day, then release it by night.

At Beaucastel, the 13 varieties authorised by the AOC have been planted and all are vinified separately. The art of blending, handed down from generation to generation, provides the guarantee that the Beaucastel style is maintained in each new vintage. Despite being among the denomination's most famous wineries, its wines are truly individual.

In the production process the aim is to ensure the grape continues to be totally to the fore and oak usage is always restrained, with no new barrels or modern techniques: egg white is used for clarifying but there's never any filtering, due to the strong conviction that this practice detracts from the wines.

They are specially devoted to the Mourvèdre, a variety which on complete maturity offers a density and structure that enable the wine to age like very few from the southern Rhône can. The Grenache also usually plays an important role in the coupages, however it’s not allowed to dominate the wine. In the best years, when the quality is exceptional, they produce the now legendary Hommage à Jacques Perrin, an illustrious wine right from the first day it was released, due to its excellent quality and exceedingly low production.