Beaumes de Venise, the Rhône cru with two faces
Website: https://www.beaumesdevenise-aoc.fr/
Beaumes de Venise is a small cru in the southern Rhône that describes itself as a terroir with two faces, because it makes two very distinctive styles of wine. First we have the wine that made it widely famous: AOC Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, a sweet wine made from the Muscat à Petits Grains grape variety.
Then we have the reds from AOC Beaumes de Venise, which are a bit of a hidden gem. These wines must be a blend, and have to include Grenache noir. The proportion of main (Grenache noir) and complementary (Syrah and Mourvèdre) grape varieties needs to be at least 60%, but can be more. There are some secondary varieties, such as Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise and some white varieties that can also be included.
The cru is located at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail, limestone outcrops formed in the Jurassic era, and which define the Gigondas cru. The Dentelles protect Beaumes de Venise from the wind, and together with low altitude, it means this is a very warm cru. You can taste this in the reds: they typically show a sweet fruit profile, but in most cases this is well balanced and the wines have enough freshness, and the result is they can be quite alluring.
Vin Doux Naturel Muscat de Beaumes de Venise got AOC status way back in 1945. The red cru had to wait until 2005. There are 711 hectares in the red cru, and just 4% of the wine, which is exclusively red, is exported. The sweet cru has 282 hectares, as as well as whites there 16% rosé and 1% red (this is made from a red version of Muscat). Even less of this is exported, just 3%, so it’s largely a French secret.
These notes are from a tasting put on by the cru, and some supplementary tasting, all at the Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône in April 2025.
THE WINES
Château La Croix des Pins Beaumes de Venise ‘Les Contreforts de Montmirail’ 2023
Sweetly aromatic. The palate is ripe, smooth and sleek with rich cherry and berry fruit as well as some soft stewed strawberry, as well as a hint of olive. 92/100
Domaine de Cassan Beaumes de Venise ‘Tradition’ 2023
Lovely sweet olive-laced cherry and plum fruit nose. Rich, bold and ripe on the palate with nice depth of bold, sleek fruit. Has a bit of spicy bite, too. 93/100
Domaine de Piéblanc Beaumes de Venise ‘Les Hauts’ 2023
Sweet, lush and bold with very ripe cherry and berry fruits and a nice spicy bite. I really like the cherry and plum fruit here, and there are some sweet strawberry notes. Stylish and broad, but with nice grainy structure. 94/100
Domaine des Garances Beaumes de Venise ‘Alazard’ 2023
Sweet, juicy and spicy with olive savouriness and nice definition. There are some spicy hints to the broad, satisfying palate. 93/100
Domaine des Garances Beaumes de Venise ‘Le Jus de Chêne’ 2022
Sweet, ripe and lush, with some nice grainy structure, but it’s the really exotic pure fruit that dominates. 92/100
Château Saint-Sauveur Beaumes de Venise ‘Chapelle Saint-Sixe’ 2022
Lush, sweet strawberry and cherry fruit. Very soft and smooth with an innate richness. There’s some nice fruit here and it’s really appealing, in this very sweet style. 92/100
Domaine La Ferme Saint-Martin Beaumes de Venise ‘Les Terres Jaunes’ 2022
Sweet, ripe and juicy with lovely berry fruits as well as some black cherry. Has a fine spicy finish. Very ripe and expressive. 92/100
Domaine Saint-Roch Beaumes de Venise ‘Sens’ 2022
Bold and rich, but very oaky. Rich and robust, but for me the oak is a distraction. 86/100
Gigondas La Cave Beaumes de Venise ‘Terrissimo’ 2022
Supple and grainy with nice spicy density to the fruit. Nicely structured with a bit of grip. 88/100
Xavier Vignon Beaumes de Venise ‘Originel’ 2021
This is ripe and lush with lovely polished, sweet cherry and berry fruit, showing some freshness to the liqueur-like fruit. Very pure. 93/100
Domaine Les Gourbets Beaumes de Venise 2020
Supple and sleek, and sweetly fruited. Rich and nicely textured with a gravelly edge to the fruit. Finishes slightly salty. 93/100
Château Redortier Beaumes de Venise ‘Tradition’ 2019
Supple and smooth with nice sweetness and density. This has a really sweet ripe core, and lushness, with some grainy structure. 91/100
Domaine de Fenouillet Beaumes de Venise ‘Terres Blanches’ 2023
Nice definition, with a fine spicy edge to the sweet black cherry and blackberry fruit, with a nice grippy, peppery edge. Stylish. 94/100
Martinelle Beaumes de Venise 2023
Supple, juicy and ripe with nice crunchy structure, as well as good acidity, supporting the sweet fruit. So fresh with a lively finish. 92/100
Château Redortier Beaumes de Venise 2023
Nice balance here: ripe and rich with notes of olive and meat as well as sweet cherry fruit. Very rich but it works. 93/100
Domaine La Roussière Beaumes de Venise ‘Tradition’ 2022
Ripe, sleek and rich with bold berry fruits and some red cherry notes. Has nice depth and structure with a core of sweet fruit. 92/100
Domaine de la Pigeade Beaumes de Venise Hur Le Vent 2023
Supple and sweet with nice open cherry and berry fruits, showing some brightness and elegance. Has a sour cherry twist on the finish, with some appealing grainy detail. Stylish. 94/100
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise
Rhonea Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Origine 1348 Cuvée Anniversaire NV
Bright, sweet and lively. This is pure with some grapey richness and some spicy detail. Lovely fruit intensity here. In an square-faced bottle. 92/100
Domaine de la Pigeade Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2024
Very floral, fresh and grapey. This is pure, and it’s textured with lovely freshness balancing the sweet fruit. Great balance here. 94/100
Famille Manganelli Beaumes de Venise ‘Emilie’ 2024
This is red. It’s nicely packaged. Has some grip with notes of apple, cherry and raspberry. Nicely balanced and not to sweet. An intriguing wine that’s very stylish. 93/100
Domaine des Bernardins Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2023
There’s a bit of colour, and beautiful aromatics. Barley sugar, tea, spice and some cherry notes. Lovely texture with melon and pear fruit, and layers of flavour. 94/100
Domaine de Durban Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2022
Supple, sweet and balanced with notes of apple and table grape, as well as some herby hints. Finishes fresh. 92/100
