2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes

Château de Beaucastel remains a construction site. With François Perrin, we first sampled the whites from tank and barrel. For their Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, the Roussanne generally sees oak, old and new, while Grenache Blanc and Clairette are raised entirely in tank. Malolactic conversion is blocked for the latter two varieties to preserve freshness, but it is usually carried out on Roussanne. Looking at what’s in the glass, the bottled 2022 and the assembled 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc perform well. As for the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, the 2022 turned out brilliantly, with the precise 2023 in hot pursuit. When Perrin offered to taste an older vintage, I opted for the 2009, as I still have one bottle in my cellar. Having enjoyed the solar 2009 a few times in its youth, I was curious to see how it developed. The mature 2009 has evolved into an alluringly complex yet remarkably refreshing Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, sitting at a perfect drinking spot. If you are lucky enough to own a bottle, now is the time to enjoy its full glory. Moving on to the reds, we started with the refined 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Hommage à Jacques Perrin before moving on to the 2022s. While it was no surprise to see the Hommage presenting as a contender for one of the wines of the vintage, I was thrilled by the quality of the traditional red Châteauneuf-du-Pape with its enticing floral lift and serious stature. Finally, we approached a bottle of the red 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. While the aromas and flavors have evolved towards lovely tertiary elements like tobacco and dried fruits, the robust tannins remain a focal point. That said, the 2005 is a distinctively savory Beaucastel with a few more years ahead.

According to Marc Perrin, "the not-so secret benefit of Beaucastel's location in Chateauneuf is that the vineyard sits in the most northern sector of the appellation. This means that the north winds sweep down through the mountains and hit here first, which keeps the vineyards cool and stretches out the growing season." He added that in terms of temperature Beaucastel "is a lot like a vineyard much further north," so there is always good acidity to the grapes, even in a hot year. Perrin noted that in a year like 2010 that quality is even more pronounced, "which means that the wines will be very long-lived." As much as he loves the 2007 Hommage a Jacques Perrin, and the 2009 as well, he believes the 2010 is at another level and "should be, maybe, the longest-lived wine made here, maybe ever." He compares the 2010 wines "to 1978 and maybe even 1962 for their intensity without overripeness or heaviness." Those older vintages are most peoples' reference points for greatness in Chateauneuf, by the way. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)