2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Roussanne, Vieilles Vignes, Château de Beaucastel, Rhône

Brought up all in new demi-muids and barrels, the 100% Roussanne 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Roussanne Vielles Vignes offers a heavenly bouquet of ripe quince, acacia flowers, toasted almonds, citrus oil, and spice. Ful-bodied, deep, concentrated, and layered, with an unctuous style, this is pure Beaucastel magic. Reminding me of the 2009 which is drinking brilliantly today), it deserves 2-4 years of bottle age and will absolutely blow you away over the following decade or more.

Drink 2025 - 2037

Cask sample

The nose is nutty and reduced, rich and dense. The palate is intensely concentrated with almond, apple skin, pear and a lovely texture, high dry extract and concentration. Rich and with real depth. A sweetness and lovely nutty notes on the golden-fruit-drenched finish.

Drink 2027 - 2040

Matured in barrels, 50% new, 50% one-year-old.

This is a big, expansive vintage of this wine. It’s really quite juicy and fleshy. The acidity is well balanced, but this is considerably richer than 2021 and even 2020. The oak feels more noticeable at this stage, too. It was quite a potent, rich year for this cuvée, with a long finish. It’s an opulent, hedonistic Roussanne.

Drink 2025 - 2038

The dashing 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is yet another brilliant white from this reliable address. Discrete cedar, lemon peel, ripe pear, yellow apple and spring blossom are all pushed forward. Verbena tea and melon add more dimension. Hitting the palate with ample concentration and tension, the 2022 flawlessly makes its way to a sapid finish that lingers with an elegant aftertaste.

Drink 2026 - 2037

From organically grown grapes.

Amazing nose of dried apricots and caramelized pears with a lot of toasted nut complexity. Very rich and mellow on the full-bodied palate, this glides over your palate. Opulent in the best sense, the creaminess very sensual, and then comes the amazingly graceful and properly dry, super-long finish.

Drink or hold

The 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is another triumphant vintage for this bottling. Fermented and matured in a combination of new and second-use oak, it's ripe and honeyed, with waves of lush peach and melon fruit, yet it somehow never seems overdone. Full-bodied, ripe and round, it's expansive in the mouth yet never heavy, finishing long and luxurious, with subtle hints of wood spice, honey and citrus.

Drink 2023 - 2030