Parker-Joe Czerwinski 100 - 2025-2045,
Marvelously complex, deeply fruited and massively concentrated yet wonderfully drinkable, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin challenges the number of superlatives that can be thrown at it. Scents of violets, tree bark, truffle, purple raspberries and blackberries all appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich, dense and velvety, and the finish shows enormous richness and length. Breathtaking stuff.
Always one of the highlights of my visits in Chateaneuf du Pape, the cellars at Beaucastel were a bit dusty when I arrived, as the long-awaited expansion had just gotten underway. Built using the latest practices in sustainability and conservation, it's expected to be completed in 2024. The 2021 Syrah had just been picked, and the expectation was that the Grenache would be harvested beginning the following day. Something worth noting, although the family doesn't actively promote it, is that Beaucastel's farming has been certified organic since 1966, and the vineyards have been farmed along biodynamic principles since 1974 (although not certified as such). Marc Perrin and his cousin César Perrin, who conducted the tasting, are high on the prospects for 2020, which they compare to 2016. "It was a beautiful summer, all the way through October," said César. "What I really like is the finesse of it," said Marc. "With global warming, Mourvèdre is performing better and better here." Their opinions aside, don't discount the bottled 2019s, which are also excellent. The 2019 Hommage à Jacques Perrin is simply stupendous, and not to be missed by serious collectors. As always, my visit here included a substantial lineup of the Famille Perrin wines from other appellations, which will be included in the next installment of my Southern Rhône coverage.
James Suckling 96 Punkte:
Such beautiful black cherries, fresh earth, sage, basil and flowers on the nose, following through to a medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and an attractive, lightly chewy finish. This is very long and fresh with balance and purity. Give it five or six years to come around and show itself.
Jeb Dunnick 99 Punkte:
The tiny production 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is the customary blend of roughly 60% Mourvèdre, 15% Grenache, and the rest Syrah and Cinsault that’s brought up in foudre. One sexy, powerful, full-bodied Southern Rhône, it sports a dense purple hue as well as a kaleidoscope-like array of blueberry, scorched earth, candied violets, pepper, and some almost northern Rhône-like meaty, smoky nuances. Full-bodied and incredibly pure, with a stacked mid-palate and ripe, supple tannins, it’s another vintage of this cuvée that will undoubtedly offer pleasure in it youth yet won’t hit prime time for a solid 7-8 years, and it should see its 30th birthday in fine form.
As usual, I was able to taste the Perrin family’s Gigondas releases during my visit to Château de Beaucastel, and have included those releases here as well. This estate continues to fashion a classic, age-worthy style of wine, largely based on Mourvèdre. Looking at the latest releases reviewed here, the 2020s show the pure, fresh, yet still nicely concentrated style of the vintage. The 2020 whites are brilliant, with slightly cooler, more vibrant profiles, which is the style of the vintage. As to the reds, both 2020 and 2019 are unquestionably brilliant vintages here, with the nod I think going to the 2019s.
Antonio Galloni 98 Punkte:
Glass-staining ruby. A deeply perfumed bouquet features black raspberry, cherry liqueur, boysenberry, exotic spice and floral scents that show outstanding definition and smoky mineral lift. Sweet and penetrating in the mouth, offering wonderfully concentrated black and blue fruit preserve, violet pastille, spicecake and savory herb flavors that possess unlikely vivacity for their depth. The strikingly long, floral- and spice-driven finish is shaped by steadily building tannins that play nicely with the wine's intense fruit.
