Tribute to Jacques Perrin - Beaucastel Castle - Châteauneuf du Pape 2010

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe2/28/2015

Tight, dense and backward, the 2010 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage À Jacques Perrin was one of the least approachable wines in the lineup, yet certainly has incredible potential. Offering lots of liquid minerality, crushed rock, blueberry, truffle and cassis, it’s massive and concentrated on the palate, with building tannin, good acidity and a firm, focused feel that begs for cellaring. Hide these in the cellar for another decade.

Coming mostly from a plot of old vines located behind the estate, the Perrin Family’s Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin was first created in 1989 and is a tribute to the late Jacques Perrin, who passed away in 1978. Aged all in foudre and normally a blend of 60% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 10% Counoise and the rest Syrah, it’s only produced in top vintages and there’s normally a scant 400-500 cases to go around. It’s an incredible, yet atypical Châteauneuf du Pape due to its high Mourvèdre content. While most vintages require upwards of a decade of cellaring, the more forward, sexy vintages can certainly be enjoyable in their youth as well. 98+ points

Vinous

97 / 100

the1/31/2013

(based on 70% mourvedre, with roughly 10% each of syrah, grenache and counoise): Bright ruby. A drop-dead, room-filling bouquet evokes black raspberry liqueur, incense, anise and lavender, with smoke and herb overtones. Sappy and penetrating, offering deeply pitched but lively dark berry and cherry flavors and an exotic touch of candied flowers. Fine-grained tannins come up with air and give grip to an endless, fruit- and mineral-dominated finish. This remarkable wine would be at the top of my Chateauneuf to-buy list this vintage if I had the resources to swim in such waters.

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe10/30/2012

Wine Advocate

94-98 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe10/31/2011

There are approximately 500 cases of the luxury cuvee, the Chateau Beaucastel 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin. Composed of 60% Mourvedre, 20% Syrah and the rest Counoise and Grenache, the 2010 is slightly more restrained and backward than usual because of the vintage’s acid profile. Its opaque purple color is followed by crisp, rich, blueberry, blackberry, roasted meat, smoky, gamey, licorice and truffle notes. Extremely dense with fabulous fruit purity, a multidimensional mouthfeel and a massive finish, this wine will need a minimum of 10 years of cellaring and should keep for half a century. The Perrins did not harvest the Mourvedre used in their two 2010 cuvees until October 20!

(Not yet released)

Brothers Jean-Pierre and Francois Perrin as well as their four sons, Thomas, Marc, Pierre and Mathieu, have quickly become the dominate wine producers of the entire southern Rhone Valley. They have expanded their operation even further by partnering with the Jaboulets. Now having over 1,200 acres in vine and extensive contracts, this is a high quality locomotive, great news for consumers seeking a range of top quality red and white wines in all price ranges. The Perrins’ greatest success is undeniably their enormous quantities of high quality, inexpensive wines called La Vieille Ferme, a white from the Cotes du Luberon and a red from the Cotes du Ventoux. The Perrins are now the top producers of wines from the cool climate southern Rhone appellation of Vinsobres, located in the northern sector of the region and meaning “sober wine.” In 2008, the Perrins purchased one of the better estates in Gigondas, Clos des Tourelles, a 25 acre property located at the southern end of the village from which they make two cuvees. True stars in the Perrin portfolio are the white and red Cotes du Rhone from their estate called Coudoulet which is adjacent to the appellation of Chateauneuf du Pape. As longtime readers know, Chateau de Beaucastel makes two of the great white wines of the southern Rhone, although in Chateauneuf du Pape the rather dramatic amelioration of quality that has taken place with white winemaking has given them more competition than they had a decade ago.