Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes 2021 (750ML)

96-99 JD / 98 DE / 97 JS / 95-97 WA / 96 VM / 18 JR

The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes (100% Roussanne) is brought up in all new oak, and it has a normal pH of 3.7 and an alcohol of 14.5%. (In comparison, the classic white has a pH of 3.6 and slightly less alcohol at 14%.) Rich, full-bodied, and opulent, it has a gorgeous perfume of caramelized white peach, acacia flowers, toasted spices, and orange blossom. One of the most powerful, concentrated whites in the vintage, its oak is perfectly integrated, it's flawlessly balanced, and as I've written in the past, it's the Montrachet of the Southern Rhône!-Jeb Dunnuck

Great concentration this year, making for a really intense, sappy Roussanne; pear tarte tatin flavours, alongside the intense cigar tobacco, cedar and sandalwood. Dense and concentrated, it's weightier than the 2020 vintage, and riper and denser than most 2021 Châteauneuf blancs. Huge length. The oaking is robust, it shows quite strongly so give this time. All aged in oak, half new, half one-year-old, mostly demi-muids.-Matt Walls, Decanter

It's really hard to do the aromas of this wine justice, such is their complexity, extending from the whole range of candied citrus through ripe apricot to dried thyme. Amazing mouthfeel, the creamy stony and delicately zesty aspects of the wine beautifully interwoven to create a ravishingly beautiful whole. In spite of the power this is light on its feet at the very long, refined finish. 100% roussanne from ancient vines. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.-James Suckling

Caramel and honey notes add an extra layer of richness to the ripe pineapple and melon fruit in the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes. Full-bodied and rich without seeming heavy, with a wonderfully long, silky finish, it should provide exceptional drinking for at least another 15 years.- Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate

Cropped at a tiny 12 – 18 hL/Ha, the 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is at eye
level with the 2020. It displays magnificent aromas of honeysuckle, yellow apple, ripe pear, grapefruit, lemon flesh, cedar and hints of herbal tea so typical of the Roussanne variety. Full-bodied, layered and kept in check by lively acidity, it concludes with a round and persistent finish. Only 4,000 bottles produced.-Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous Media

Lemon curd, piercing mineral freshness – wet hay, meadowsweet and conference pear. The palate has an overarching richness, suppleness and undercurrent of spicy cedar oak. Always balanced by a sense of zestiness. Yes, this needs time – the honey shines through towards the finish – super-concentrated style – fantastic.- Alistair Cooper MW, Jancis Robinson