2013 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Roussanne V V
Buying options
Tasting notes
Kicking off with an orange, floral, citrus and spicy peach nose, the wine is balanced between its sweetness and fleshy, fresh side, leaving you with slightly honeyed yellow fruits in the finish. 97 Points
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
(aged in a 50/50 blend of stainless steel tanks and oak barrels for eight months): Light, vivid gold. Intensely perfumed aromas of poached pear, orange, candied fig and jasmine slowly acquire a hint of fennel. Smooth, sappy and expansive on the palate, offering rich, mineral-laced orchard fruit and pit fruit flavors that show a suave blend of richness and energy. Finishes very long and sappy, displaying excellent clarity and building mineral and floral notes.
Fleshy oak that is prominent but not dominant. Loads of ripe, exotic fruit here. Rounded, lengthy, perfumed and bold. Very good. (RH)
Similar in color to the classic white, the 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is deeper and richer, with more viscosity, glycerin and minerality. Loaded with notes of buttered citrus, flowers, orange marmalade and crushed-rock nuances, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied power, juicy, lively acidity and terrific length. Like the classic white, this does not go through malolactic fermentation, but sees slightly more oak (some new) in its élevage, which always gives it slightly more richness, as well as hints of vanilla in its youth. It’s unquestionably the greatest white wine coming from the Southern Rhône, and while I prefer to drink it in its first 4-6 years, it can evolve for decades.
About the producer
This Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate is one of the Rhône’s most famous addresses. With a history stretching back to the 16th century, Beaucastel remains family owned and run, with the fifth generation of the Perrin family – Marc, Pierre, Thomas, Cécile, Charles, Matthieu and César – at the helm today.