2017 Château de Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin 2017 3000mL

100 POINTS

Jeb Dunnuck

On another level, the brilliant 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is just about all Mourvèdre (there are small amounts of Grenache, Syrah, and Counoise) brought up in a large foudre. It reveals a saturated purple color as well as a super-rich, blockbuster-styled bouquet of blackcurrants, blackberries, ground pepper, truffle, charcuterie, and God knows what else. With full-bodied richness, a stacked, opulent mid-palate, building tannins, and a sensational finish, it’s another perfect wine from this team and is unquestionably in the same realm as the 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2016. Give bottles 7-8 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 40-50 years. One of the reference point estate in the Rhône Valley, as well as the entire wine world, is that of the Perrin Family’s Château de Beaucastel. Located in the northern, cooler part of the appellation, the estate covers roughly 100 hectares of vines from which they produce a red and white Côtes Du Rhône (from vines just outside the appellation), two Châteauneuf du Pape whites, and two Châteauneuf du Pape reds. Looking at the Châteauneuf du Papes, both whites are Roussanne dominated, with the Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc being roughly 80+% Roussanne, and the Roussanne Vieilles Vignes cuvée being 100% Ro(more...)

98 POINTS

Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The preliminary blend of the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin is about 75% Mourvèdre, which performed exceptionally well in the heat of the vintage, according to Marc Perrin. It's the second consecutive potentially perfect vintage of this cuvée, which never misses the mark, in any event. Licorice and red berries mark the nose, while the wine is full-bodied and concentrated yet almost weightless, delivering remarkable savory, spicy nuances and a long, long, long finish. Yes, I did indeed write "long" three times in my notebook. Points: 97-100

98 POINTS

Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Loaded with mulberry and blueberry fruit, graced by hints of star anise, cardamom, cinnamon and allspice, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin is another standout vintage for this wine. Full-bodied, rich, velvety and long on the finish, at this point, it's maybe not quite as sure a thing to reach the century score as the beyond-superlative 2018, but I wouldn't rule it out. This is seriously great wine. Points: 97-100

97 POINTS

Wine Spectator

This has an exotic bent at first, as it offers up a lovely gush of crushed plum, boysenberry and blackberry fruit flavors, laced seamlessly with sweet black licorice. Then this gains in depth and grip as it moves through the finish, showing accents of apple wood, leather and Turkish coffee and ending dark and winey in feel. Built for the cellar.

97 POINTS

Matt Walls - Decanter

The 2017 has great ripeness, but not overripeness, and impressive purity. The Mourvèdre is strongly present, to the fore but well balanced with the other varieties. A little dark chocolate is perceptible but very much on the fruit at time of tasting. The elements sit somewhat apart at the moment, but all in good balance. Restrained and orderly, it has weight but not heaviness. Tannins are dense, a little gruff, textural. Good length, gently tapers on the finish. The alcohol is slightly warming on the finish but this has real depth and great potential. Certainly warmer and riper than the 2016.

97 POINTS

Josh Raynolds - Vinous

Glass-staining ruby. Dark berry preserves, cherry cola, Moroccan spices and licorice on the intensely perfumed, mineral-accented nose. Palate-staining, sharply focused black/blue fruit, spicecake and candied violet flavors show superb energy for their depth. Picks up mocha and succulent herb nuances with air. it finishes extremely long and smoky, with resonating floral and spice notes and mounting tannins.

97 POINTS

James Suckling

A great vintage for mourvedre in 2017, it represents 60% of this blend. Picked late, at the beginning of October, this has a very rich, dark-stone, leather, grilled-meat and slate nose with black fruit and wild herbs. The palate has a rich, smooth and long core of noble tannin with a wealth of dark cherries and dark plums. Long, suave tannins command the finish, where there’s a a late kick of spice. Good potential, ripeness and concentration. As with the regular Beaucastel Châteauneuf, the intensity and plushness of tannin is a highlight here. Try from 2025.

96 POINTS

Josh Raynolds - Vinous

Saturated ruby. Expansive, smoke- and mineral-accented black raspberry, cherry liqueur, cassis, exotic spice and licorice aromas show outstanding delineation and lift. Sweet and expansive in the mouth, offering impressively concentrated black and blue fruit, floral pastille, spicecake and succulent herb flavors that utterly stain the palate. Shows outstanding energy and breadth on a wonderfully long, floral- and spice-dominated finish shaped by steadily building tannins. Points: 96-97