Famille Perrin’s rich history in winemaking brought to the table its flagship brand, Château de Beaucastel.

The Château de Beaucastel, Famille Perrin’s premier estate, lies at the northern edge of the Châteauneuf appellation, an old riverbed of the majestic Rhône river in Provence. Calling it beautiful would be an understatement. It is surrounded by rolling hills dotted with vines, hundred-year-old olive trees, truffle oaks, and a vast field of galets—round white stones that are reminders of its close encounters with the Rhône during the Miocene period.

Just as its terroirs were carved by the torrential waters of Rhône and its ancient vines blown dry by the strong, north-western Mistral winds, Château de Beaucastel experienced a series of radical changes that defined its rich history. Its vineyards are witnesses to continuous stories of struggle and redemption, traditions and innovations, and the passion of its winemakers—influencing the complex and elegant flavours of its vintages.

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Above Famille Perrin is known for its organic viticulture methods where the grape varieties and its terroirs take the major roles in the blending process. The wines are stocked in oak barrels and aged for one year.

Wines for the Popes

When the Western Great Schism broke out, the city of Avignon in Provence served not only as the home of the antipopes but also the main vineyards of the papal wines. It was during the term of John XXII, the second Avignon Pope, that the castle Châteauneuf-du-Pape was built. Literally meaning, “the Pope’s new castle,” this name was also used for the wines produced within the appellation. Although the estate must have already been used for viticulture since the 11th century, it was not until 1321 when four barrels were recorded to have been filled by Châteauneuf wines. 

The reign of the Avignon popes did not last long as the Catholic Church’s structure went back to normal. However, the innovations in Provençal winemaking that were imparted to the people remained. In 1687, Pierre de Beaucastel bought a large parcel of land within the appellation and built the Château de Beaucastel.

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Wine was then made and sold at the estate, and grew in popularity across the country. With a unique and exceptional mix of power, structure, elegance, and freshness, the Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouges and blancs are known to be some of the world’s best papal wines to date.

Misfortune was inevitable. Microscopic lice called phylloxeras arrived in the 1860s and wrought havoc not only in Beaucastel but also in other wine regions in Europe. The devastation caused the 1,700-acre wide wine vineyards of Beaucastel to shrink to less than 500.

(Read more about the Château de Beaucastel and Famille Perrin's exceptional array of wines in the second part of this article.)

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