100 POINTS
Robert Parker - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
No such issue exists with the perfect 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin. I don't know what more a wine could offer. Inky blue/purple, with an extraordinary nose of smoked duck, grilled steaks, Provencal herbs, blackberries, blueberries, kirsch, licorice and truffle, enormously massive, concentrated, full-bodied and built for 30-50 years of cellaring, this wine, which is dominated by its Mourvedre component, is a tour de force, a spectacular, world-class wine. It is going to require some patience, though, and seems to need 4-5 years of cellaring. It should again be almost ageless in its potential. As I said last year, the Perrin family is a large one indeed, with brothers Jean-Pierre and Francois sitting at the top of the hierarchy and their four sons, Mathieu, Pierre, Thomas and Marc increasingly taking charge of their negociant business and their extensive estates throughout Southern Rhone. Now controlling over 1200 acres, as well as having a network of contracts, this operation is the equivalent of a major Southern Rhone train operating at high speed. Moreover, they are doing some incredible work in all price ranges. Other 2011s that the Perrin boys have produced include the following wines, which were very good across the board, especially for 2011s. In parti(more...)
98 POINTS
Robert Parker - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
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.
98 POINTS
Robert Parker - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
No such issue exists with the perfect 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin. I don't know what more a wine could offer. Inky blue/purple, with an extraordinary nose of smoked duck, grilled steaks, Provencal herbs, blackberries, blueberries, kirsch, licorice and truffle, enormously massive, concentrated, full-bodied and built for 30-50 years of cellaring, this wine, which is dominated by its Mourvedre component, is a tour de force, a spectacular, world-class wine. It is going to require some patience, though, and seems to need 4-5 years of cellaring. It should again be almost ageless in its potential.
As I said last year, the Perrin family is a large one indeed, with brothers Jean-Pierre and Francois sitting at the top of the hierarchy and their four sons, Mathieu, Pierre, Thomas and Marc increasingly taking charge of their negociant business and their extensive estates throughout Southern Rhone. Now controlling over 1200 acres, as well as having a network of contracts, this operation is the equivalent of a major Southern Rhone train operating at high speed. Moreover, they are doing some incredible work in all price ranges. Other 2011s that the Perrin boys have produced include the following wines, which were very good across the board, especially for 2011s. In particular, readers need to take a hard look at their estate in Vinsobres, which is making the finest wines of that appellation, and more recently, what they are doing in Gigondas with the estate they purchased there, Clos des Tourelles. These are special wines. There are now three cuvees of Gigondas from the Perrins - the Gigondas La Gille, the Gigondas Vieilles Vignes and the Gigondas Clos des Tourelles. All three merit serious attention. Tasting the 2010s, which were all set to go into bottle right after my visit, certainly shows that this vintage is impressive, although I'm not sure that Marc and Pierre Perrin haven't done as good a job with their selections in 2011. Three cuvees of Gigondas look to all have outstanding potential and will probably be in bottle by the time this report is published.
98 POINTS
Nicolas Greinacher - Vinous
The 2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin is a monumental achievement from the Perrin family. Its kaleidoscopic nose kicks off with hauntingly fragrant rosewater, forest floor, kirsch, tobacco, lavender, ripe blackberry and black cherry compote. Crushed rocks add yet another layer of complexity. This ambitious red masterfully balances finesse and intensity with marked flavor concentration, culminating in an almost never-ending, nuanced resolution. Anyone fortunate enough to own this singular Châteauneuf-du-Pape can consider themselves really, really lucky. That said, I have a feeling the best is yet to come.
98 POINTS
Jeb Dunnuck - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
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.
Sour cherry, but also amarena, cherry stone, complex with a tone-on-tone of ripeness, appears very precise and restrained in keeping with its age. Little development in the glass. A small hint of sweetish wood. Long, soft attack, then a string increase in tension, medium-high to high extract, tight acidity, very good juiciness on the finish, clearly mineral. Balanced, full of certain ageing potential, completely free of effects. The most mineral wine in the flight. (Panel rating: 97.45).
97 POINTS
Josh Raynolds - Vinous
(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.
Josh Raynolds - Vinous
(roughly 60% mourvedre, 20% syrah and 10% each of grenache and counoise at this stage): Vivid purple. Highly perfumed bouquet combines blackcurrant, pipe tobacco, woodsmoke, Asian spices and dried
flowers. Wonderfully sweet and pure, with a seamless texture and
terrific energy to its red and dark fruit preserve flavors. Palate-staining and powerful wine but without any undue impression of weight. The long, spicy finish shows an exotic
quality that reminded me of, forgive me, a Rousseau Chambertin-Clos de Beze from a ripe vintage.
