At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Location
- Piolenc, Vaucluse
- Appellation
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- Signature wine
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Réserve
- Farming
- HVE certified, with no irrigation and minimum fertilization
- Bottling
- The entire harvest is bottled at the Château
The Producer
The Bernard family's vineyard history begins with Jacques Bernard, who in 1794, at 18, purchased 0.8 hectares from the Berviguier family during the sale of national properties that followed the French Revolution. The family has been present in Orange since the 17th century. Michel Bernard and his wife Dominique Verniaud have overseen operations since 1971, and their daughters Amandine and Estelle have joined the business. The family represents the 10th generation working on the estate.
The entire harvest is bottled at the Château. HVE certified practices include no irrigation and minimum fertilization, keeping the estate's work centred on its own vineyards and cellar.
Place
Piolenc, in Vaucluse, sits at the heart of three major AOCs of the southern Rhône Valley. Château Beauchêne belongs to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, so its Grande Réserve carries a protected place name rather than a broader regional designation.
An AOC links the label to a defined geographic area and its production rules. Here, the place appears directly on the bottle through the Châteauneuf-du-Pape name.
Wines
Château Beauchêne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Réserve is a red wine made from 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre. The vines are 80 to 100 years old. Partial ageing in French oak barrels and demi-muids lasts 12 to 18 months, softening the wine's character and tannins.
In The Glass
Grande Réserve is luminous ruby red. The nose brings ripe red fruit, including blackcurrant and blackberry, with spicy and vanilla notes and a hint of violet. On the palate, the ripe fruit becomes almost stewed, with delicate truffle aromas beside vanilla. The wine is rich, complex and balanced, with well-integrated tannins. Its ageing potential is 15 to 20 years.
A Bottle To Understand It
The bottle to open first is Château Beauchêne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Réserve. The estate's entire harvest is bottled at the Château, and this cuvée places that practice under the family's Châteauneuf-du-Pape name. It is a red appellation wine from the Bernard estate, with the producer's name carried through from vineyard work to the finished bottle.
Final Word
Château Beauchêne is a Bernard family estate in Piolenc whose Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Réserve comes from the estate's harvest and is bottled at the Château.