Winemaker Notes
Domaine de Beaurenard's flagship wine is a quintessential blend, reflecting all the diversity of the terroir and the perfect synergy that exists between the soils and the grapes. It offers a supple and refined texture associated with a delicate aromatic palette that is the result of a constant quest for freshness.
Blend: 65% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Other Permitted Varieties
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The classic 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape from this terrific estate checks in as 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and the rest Clairette Rose, Cinsault, and Grenache Gris. It has a beautiful sense of freshness in its ripe red and black berry fruits as well as classic notes of peppery garrigue, spring flowers, camphor, and spice. These all carry to a medium-bodied Châteauneuf du Pape with a pure, elegant mouthfeel, ripe, polished tannins, and a terrific sense of minerality on the finish. It shows the pure, polished, elegant style of the estate while still bringing good depth of fruit and concentration. It will have 15 years of longevity.
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James Suckling
A solid, driven and structured red with a spicy lift. Aromas of cherries, cassis, sweet spices and Mediterranean herbs. Full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Vivid with a bright core of succulent red berries and a fresh, zesty finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Heady, ripe and well-structured, with a cascade of spiced black plum, cherry and licorice snap notes firmed up by a beam of iron and a kick of menthol freshness. Grilled alder and mesquite smoke linger in the backdrop, with pretty lavender high notes. Suave but muscular tannins keep everything well-framed on the long finish. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Counoise. Drink now through 2040.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape is a real success, making it a great introduction to Domaine de Beaurenard's universe. Evoking aromas of cassis, rose, dark cherries, spices and flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, concentrated and elegant. It has a fleshy core of fruit, polished tannins and a harmonious, long finish enhanced by delicate notes of dark cherries. This is a blend of 65% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and the rest a mix of Clairette Rose, Cinsault, Grenache Gris, Terret Noir, Picardan, Picpoul Blanc, Muscardin, Bourboulenc, Vaccarèse, Roussanne, Picpoul Gris, Counoise and Clairette planted on a mix of sandy and calcareous soils and galets roulés. It's worth hunting down.
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Vinous
Rose petal, dried herbs, ripe strawberry and cherry cola elements introduce the 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a full-bodied and structured red that’s both juicy and concentrated. Building upon ripe tannins, the 2022 contains spot-on balance and will benefit from three more years in a cool cellar.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.
According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.
Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.
The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.