Château de Beaucastel’s 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the estate’s flagship red from a historic, organically farmed property in the Northern part of the appellation. Beaucastel has long stood out locally for working with all 13 permitted varieties, and the 2016 continues that tradition with an unusually prominent role for Mourvèdre. Jeb Dunnuck reports a blend of “30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, and the rest a mix of permitted varieties,” a mix that tends to emphasize structure, savory depth, and longevity alongside ripe Rhône fruit.

The 2016 growing season in the Southern Rhône is widely viewed as outstanding, and the reviews reflect that. James Suckling’s 99-point score is an excellent review, calling it “a stunning Beaucastel. A classic!” and noting “impeccable balance, super-silky tannins and an extraordinarily long finish.” Wine Spectator (97 points) also lands in excellent territory, describing it as “concentrated yet precise” and advising, “Sock this away in the cellar,” with a drinking suggestion of 2023–2040.

Aromatic and flavor profiles converge around dark and red fruits, garrigue, spice, and mineral/earth tones. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (97 points) highlights a “full-bodied, creamy, lush and rich” palate with “layers of raspberry fruit, garrigue and spice” and a “seamless palate,” while also cautioning that it “will go through cycles of being open and closed throughout its lifespan.” Decanter’s 96-point review emphasizes its youthful restraint—“the nose is tightly wound for now”—but praises its “great length and energy” and calls it “a truly excellent Beaucastel,” with a drinking window of 2023–2039.

For those who like their Châteauneuf powerful but not clumsy, Dunnuck’s description fits: “a ripe, sexy, rounded style that quickly shows more structure, minerality, and tannin,” built to improve with “5–7 years of bottle age” and to “keep for two decades.”