Beaucastel CdP Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes 2019 (750ML)

99 JD / 98 WA / 96 DE

One of my favorite whites in the world is the old vine Roussanne cuvée from Beaucastel, which comes from a single 3-hectare parcel just outside the domaine, in the northern, cooler part of Châteauneuf du Pape. The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is another thrilling example of Roussanne and offers a vivid gold hue as well as gorgeous notes of white currants, honeysuckle, white flowers, crushed stone, and hints of gunpowder. With beautiful freshness, full-bodied richness, and ample power, it’s unquestionably the Montrachet of the Southern Rhône and a magical white. You can safely drink bottles anytime over the coming decade, then it’s best forgotten until around 20 years after the vintage. - Jeb Dunnuck

There are a mere 500 cases of the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, which derives from vines planted in 1909. Showing fabulous richness and opulence allied to an impeccable sense of balance and nearly infinite persistence, it's a tour de force of white Châteauneuf. Hints of roasted pineapple and grilled lime mark the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate boasts layers of honeyed, creamy decadence yet remains dry, zesty and refreshing at the same time. Like most great wines, it's a study in seeming contradictions drawn together into seamless elegance. While there's a chance this wine may go through a quiescent phase, it's singing now, and if history is any indication, it will also drink well in a decade or so. - JC, Wine Advocate

Extremely young still, but this delivers a lot of pleasure already. A sip really lasts; that glycerol fat and generosity coats the glass and your mouth, then neatens up with a touch of bitterness - a little more pronounced than usual - then flows on long, finally revealing oak spice on the finish - again, quite present at this stage. The aromatic palette is still quite simple, primarily candied peel, grapefruit and pear. It's very full-bodied indeed, luscious, but with enough tension and energy inside to bring a sense of freshness throughout. It's showing better balance than the last time I tasted it in October 2020; the alcohol peeped out before, but now feels more integrated. It's a treat to drink it now, but you can tell this will have much more complexity and interest by 2030. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040 - Matt Walls, Decanter