In today’s era of eye-catching, attention-grabbing modern structures, the Perrin family has consciously decided to return to where it all began for them: terroir, in their reconstruction of Chateau de Beaucastel
Last year, the announcement of the long-awaited re-creation of the winery of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape icon Château de Beaucastel created a stir in the media. The Perrin family had awarded the contract to re-imagine and recreate their flagship winery in the heart of the Rhône to much-awarded Indian architect Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai and his colleague, Louis-Antoine Grego of Studio Méditerranée.
This was no simple reconstruction of the Beaucastel winery, which was overdue for an overhaul. The mandate given to the project architects by the family was that it should not only be future-proof but also speak strongly of the land on which it was built: the galets roulés, the powerful Mistral wind, and the instantly identifiable landscape with its bush vines.
Then I saw the images of the finished project, beautifully captured to show its sheer simplicity. It captured my imagination – this was truly a winery built for the future that acknowledged its roots and spoke of the past: a story worth recounting.
So I did. One story for Mint Lounge on the project and how it came to be, what inspired its vision. And a second after a personal visit and tasting later last year (it lived up to everything it was meant to be.)
Of course, for fans of the Emmy-winning manga-based Franco-Japanese drama series Drops of God on Apple TV, there is a new reason to be excited: the backdrop for the recently released Season 2 is Château de Beaucastel. The new season’s storyline takes the viewer on a quest to discover the origins of the finest wine on earth, once again featuring Fleur Geffrier as Camille and Tomohisa Yamashita as Issei. The timeline follows the lead characters on their quest for the ‘perfect wine’, set three years after the first season.
Now, I am sharing the images once again, just for others to see for themselves.
The Perrins have shown that the world need not be made of towering steel-and-glass structures to impress. It can do so quietly, and with good intent.
My column in Sommelier India.
Link to my story in Mint Lounge.
Glimpses of the new Château de Beaucastel
The famous ‘rammed earth’ walls are evident in every part of the rebuilt winery
The interplay of sunlight & shade: in every part of Chateau de Beaucastel
Images courtesy Chateau de Beaucastel/ Nicolas Facenda/ Iwaan Baan
