The Château de Beaucastel winery is one of the most traditional and important wineries in the southern Rhone Valley in France and is run by the well-known Perrin family, who have stood for their extraordinary wines of outstanding quality for decades.

The origin of the name of the winery

The origins of the Château de Beaucastel date back to the 16th century. In 1549, Pierre de Beaucastel acquired an estate in Coudoulet, on which his descendants eventually built a manor house that still bears the family name today. At that time, however, viticulture was not yet practiced. In 1792, ownership passed to Etienne Gontard, whose heirs owned around 36 hectares of vineyards for 40 years. In the 19th century, however, the vineyards fell victim to phylloxera. The then owner Élie Dussaud decided to sell the estate to Pierre Tramier, who replanted the vineyards. Today, the approximately 110-hectare Château de Beaucastel is run by the fourth generation of the Perrin family, or to be more precise, in part the fifth generation. The winery is considered a treasure of the family, which maintains traditions. The current owners are the winemakers Jean and François Perrin. Her father Jacques Perrin, who died in 1978, was a well-known cellar master in the Rhône Valley and established three principles for the production of the wines: The production should only be carried out using natural methods, no new methods should be used to enhance the properties of the wines Wines to be retained, and in addition, a large part of the grape variety Mourvèdre should be used for the production.

Natural materials as a success factor

The vineyards of the Château de Beaucastel can be found on a plateau near the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. A dry climate and the Mistral wind encourage wine growing here. The soil is composed of red clay, with sand also contained in the upper layer. The vines are an average of 50 years old and are only fertilized with natural materials, so that the vines have been able to develop their natural defenses over time. When pests do appear, crickets, bees and ladybugs deal with them naturally instead of using chemicals. The conditions of the region and the organic cultivation together create ideal conditions for winegrowing and ensure the high quality of the grapes. All thirteen authorized grape varieties are used for red wine production by being traditionally vinified separately and then assembled.

Wines from France of outstanding quality

The wines of the Château de Beaucastel stand for balance and elegance. Every single grape is still harvested by hand. For the reductive types of wine, the wines are stored in oak barrels, the winemaking for the so-called oxidative grapes takes place in concrete tanks. A specially developed method is also used for the red wines: the grapes are first destemmed, briefly heated to 60 degrees Celsius and then cooled to 20 degrees. The coloring and flavorings are extracted even better and premature oxidation can also be counteracted.

A sought-after rarity is the white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with around 4,000 bottles of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes and around 20,000 bottles of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc being produced.

The unique expertise of the owners and the appreciative behavior towards nature have made the products of the Perrin family known far beyond France. She is also a member of the select group of "Primum Familiae Vini" (Latin for "First Families of Wine"), to which only a maximum of twelve wineries belong.