Château de Beaucastel 2020

Chateau de Beaucastel is one of the historic estates of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the southern Rhone, run by the Perrin family on a domain dating back to the sixteenth century. Its vineyards sit on the famous galets roules, the large rounded stones that store the day's heat and release it overnight, ripening the Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and Cinsault of this blend to full maturity. The warm, dry Mediterranean climate and the mistral wind keep the grapes healthy and concentrated. The 2020 spent twelve months in large old oak foudres, a maturation that rounds the wine while keeping the fruit to the fore. The colour is deep. The nose shows ripe red and dark fruit, garrigue herbs and a hint of spice and pepper. The palate is broad, supple and fruity, medium to full-bodied, held together by good acidity and fine tannin on a long finish. This is a benchmark southern Rhone red, generous now but with the structure to age. Serve at 17 degrees and decant ahead. It goes well with roast lamb, game, beef stew and hard cheese.