Wine Advocate
byJeb Dunnuckthe2/28/2015
I found this bottle of 2001 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage À Jacques Perrin to be slightly behind a recent bottle from my cellar. Nevertheless, it was perfumed and surprisingly open, with gorgeous cedar, charcuterie, truffle, blackberry and currant-like fruit all soaring from the glass. Full-bodied, seamless and supple, with its tannin, fruit and acidity perfectly balanced, it’s just now on the cusp of moving from its adolescent stage into the early stages of maturity. Give bottles another 3-5 years and enjoy over the following couple of decades. The blend here is the classic, foudre-aged mix of 60% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 10% Counoise, and 10% Syrah.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.Drink 2018-2038