Chateau de Beaucastel Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2017

Last of the whites, huge notes of buttered citrus, exotic flowers, pineapple, honeysuckle, and almond notes all emerge from the 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, a rich, yet fresh, elegant, vibrant barrel sample that does everything right. You can't find a wine like this anywhere else in the world, and it’s consistently one of the world’s great white wines.

One of the old guards of the region, Château de Beaucastel is nevertheless one of the most progressive and forward-thinking estates out there. They have a wealth of old vine Mourvèdre planted in the northern part of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and have purchased heavily in the cooler appellation of Gigondas. They’ve broken the lineup into their Château de Beaucastel releases for the estate wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and several additional cuvées released under their Famille Perrin label. Looking at the 2016s, these wines remind me of how the 2001s tasted on release. They are some of the finest wines in the vintage as well as ever made at the estate. These are classic, concentrated, yet perfectly balanced wines that will benefit from bottle age. In contrast, the 2017s are also brilliant but more forward and charming, and I suspect the preponderance of clay soils at this estate helped dramatically with keeping the vines ripening grapes as opposed to shutting down during this hot, dry vintage.

Drink now to 2038

100+-year-old Roussanne here gives very small yields, and it's harvested around two weeks after the younger vines. This wine has notes of macadamia, mango, quince and rhubarb - a dizzying kaleidoscope of scents. It's very full-bodied indeed, almost too rich, but it pulls back from the brink with a gleaming mineral edge and adequate balancing acidity. Almost too much this year, it tastes nearly sweet on the mid-palate but finishes dry, very long and absurdly opulent. It's always an attention-grabbing wine, and some will love it all the more for its excess in 2017; some less.

Drink 2021 - 2040

Sweet-smelling apples and pears, waxy lemon peel and some nicely weighted oak influence. Fleshy depth to the finish. This has concentration and richness with elegance. From a small, around 3-ha parcel of original vines, between 85 and 100-years old. Drink or hold.