Perrin et Fils - Vineyard Brands

October 2010 Issue191
Château de Beaucastel2009
Château de Beaucastel2008
Château de Beaucastel 2009
Château de Beaucastel 2008
Château de Beaucastel 2009
Château de Beaucastel 2008
Château de Beaucastel 2009
Château de Beaucastel 2009
Château de Beaucastel 2009
Perrin et Fils
2009
Perrin et Fils
Perrin et Fils
Perrin et Fils
Perrin et Fils
Perrin et Fils
Perrin et Fils
Perrin et Fils
Perrin et Fils
Perrin et Fils
La Vieille Ferme
La Vieille Ferme
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
Châteaneuf-du-Pape
Châteaneuf-du-Pape
Châteaneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Châteaneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Châteaneuf-du-Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes
Châteaneuf-du-Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes
Châteaneuf-du-Pape Blanc Hommage à Jacques Perrin
Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet
Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet Blanc
Châteaneuf-du-Pape les Sinards
Côtes du Rhône Réserve
Côtes du Rhône Réserve Blanc
Côtes du Rhône Villages
Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne Peyre Blanche
Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau l’Andéol
Vinsobres les Cornuds
Vinsobres les Hauts de Julien Vieilles Vignes
Gigondas la Gille
Vacqueyras les Christins
Luberon Blanc
Ventoux Rouge
“The Perrin brothers, Jean-Pierre and François, and their sons, Thomas,
Marc, Pierre and Matthieu, have long owned over 200 acres of top sites in
Châteauneuf-du-Pape and can now claim over 1,000 acres in the southern
Rhône as their empire under the Perrin et Fils label expands considerably.
This is good news for consumers as the Perrins, one of the great winemaking
families of France, are dedicated to producing high quality wines, preserving
top terroirs, and to providing a range of wines in all price ranges that are as
good as consumers can expect. Purchasing a wine from this family is about
as close to a guarantee of authenticity and high quality as one can expect.
There is no secret to surviving the recent world-wide recession and fragile
economy. No matter what field one is in – wine, the service industry, product
development, etc., one has to over deliver in order to keep consumers
happy. Don’t do that, expect a dwindling economic return and possible
failure. The Perrins long ago adopted this philosophy, even in boom times.
Speaking of wines that over deliver, readers should be searching out the
super inexpensive, bargain priced La Vieille Ferme offerings. The 2009 La
Vieille Ferme Luberon blanc is a delicious blend of Roussanne,
Bourboulenc and Grenache Blanc. A crisp, citrusy, refreshing, light-bodied,
flavorful white is meant to be consumed in its first year of life. The 2009 La
Vieille Ferme Ventoux red, which, like the white is aged totally in tank,
is composed of 50% Grenache and the rest other grapes such as Carignan,
Cinsault, and Syrah. It offers copious aromas of cherry fruit intermixed with
peppery, spicy garrigue notes. A surprisingly flavorful, easygoing red, it
provides tremendous relief to the beleaguered consumer looking for good
quality at the $10 price point. Drink it over the next year.
In addition to the La Vieille Ferme offerings, there is a plethora of
fairly priced wines sold under the Perrin et Fils label. The 2009 Perrin
et Fils Côtes du Rhône Réserve Blanc (50% Grenache Blanc
and the rest Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne) exhibits fresh aromas of
Red
Red
White
White
White
White
Red
Red
White
Red
Red
White
Red
Red
Red
Red
Red
Red
Red
White
Red
(92-95)
90
(94-96)
92
(95-98)
95
(96-98)
(89-91)
91
(89-91)
89
88
89+
(89-91)
(85-87)
(90-93)
(92-94)
(91-93)
(90-92)
86
87
quince, honeysuckle and citrus in its medium-bodied, nicely textured, dry,
crisp personality. It is meant to be consumed over the next 1-2 years. A
sensational bargain, the 2009 Perrin et Fils Côtes du Rhône
Réserve red is composed of 60% Grenache (from the estate vineyards
at Prébois), 20% Syrah (from the estate vineyards in Vinsobres), and 20%
Mourvèdre. It offers lots of black cherry fruit, underbrush, licorice, pepper,
and spice notes in a medium-bodied, richly fruity style with no hard edges.
The 2009 Perrin et Fils Côtes du Rhône Villages ratchets up
the intensity level. A blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, it exhibits
a deep ruby/purple hue, black cherry, black currant, lavender, pepper and
Provençal herb characteristics, medium body, pure fruit, silky tannins and no
hard edges. Enjoy it over the next 2-3 years. This is exactly what I am talking
about when I say a product must “over deliver.”
The Perrins have put together a terrific portfolio of top wines from the
leading Côtes du Rhône villages. With the exception of the estate wines in
Vinsobres, they are all dominated by Grenache. To date, the finest wines
have emerged from the 2007 vintage, but very strong efforts have been
produced in 2009. The dark ruby/purple-hued 2009 Perrin et Fils
Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau l’Andéol is dominated by
its 80% Grenache component. It exhibits some of the vintage’s austere
tannins and rustic character as well as plenty of depth, richness and a
chunky, masculine style. Consume it over the next 7-10 years. A sleeper
of the vintage, the 2009 Perrin et Fils Côtes du Rhône-Villages
Cairanne Peyre Blanche is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20%
Syrah from a village that is making bigger and bigger noise of late. The
wine offers a big, full-bodied texture, deep, concentrated black cherry, black
raspberry, earth and spring flower characteristics, a muscular, intense style,
good acidity, moderately sweet tannin and a long finish. It is worth every
cent of its $25 price tag. It should drink well for 5-7 years. A blend of equal
Imported by Vineyard Brands | Vineyard Brands Selections | www.vineyardbrands.com | BEAU125
parts Grenache and Syrah, the 2009 Perrin et Fils Vinsobres les
Cornuds reveals abundant aromas of crushed rocks, spring flowers
and blue as well as black fruits in its darker, more cool climate style. It is
completely different from the Grenache-dominated wines from the warmer
climates of Cairanne, Rasteau, Vacqueyras or Gigondas. The impressive,
deep, rich Vinsobres les Cornuds comes from high elevation (400 feet)
vineyards, and should easily age for 10 years.
Speaking of contrasts, the exuberance of the Grenache grape is welldisplayed in the Perrin et Fils 2009 Vacqueyras les Christins.
A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, it possesses abundant
amounts of kirsch liqueur, licorice, lavender, garrigue, pepper and spice
as well and full body and excellent richness. This great value should drink
nicely for 7-8 years. The Perrins’ newest estate is represented by the
2009 Perrin et Fils Gigondas la Gille. The estate’s 25 acres are
located south of the village, not far from the outstanding estate of Ste.Cosme. One of the top Gigondas of the vintage, it is a cooler climate wine
than the Vacqueyras (as one might expect from these higher elevation
vineyards) exhibiting a deep ruby/purple color along with notes of crushed
rocks, spring flowers, raspberries, black cherries and hints of lavender as
well as graphite. Beautifully rich, elegant and powerful, it should drink well
for a decade or more.
From the young vines culled out from the Beaucastel Châteauneuf-duPape as well as from other estates in the northern sector of the appellation,
the Perrin et Fils 2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape les Sinards
is composed of 70% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvèdre, and
Counoise. A potentially outstanding effort, it boasts a deep ruby/purple
color as well as abundant amounts of kirsch, raspberry, roasted herb and
underbrush notes, medium to full body, good glycerin, silky tannins and
a fleshy, rich finish. Enjoy it over the next 10-12 years. The Perrin et
Fils 2009 Vinsobres Vieilles Vignes les Hauts de Julien
is the most brilliant wine produced in Vinsobres. The Perrins now own
140 acres in Vinsobres, and this is the best selection of the oldest vines. I
recently had a bottle of the 2007 at the wonderful New Orleans restaurant,
Herbsaint, and while it was still young, it was a brilliant expression of
cool climate, high elevation Grenache and Syrah. Made from equal parts
Grenache and Syrah, the 2009 hits all the palate’s sweet spots offering up
notes of graphite, truffles, blueberries, blackberries, licorice and camphor.
Full-bodied with crisp acidity, wonderful purity and vivid freshness and
delineation, it should drink well for 10-15+ years.
Château de Beaucastel’s 2008 white and red Châteauneuf-duPape are among the stars of the vintage. The 2008 Beaucastel
Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc (80% Roussanne and 20%
Grenache Blanc vinified in tank and wood) had its malolactic blocked so
the wine’s stability and ageworthiness are more consistent than in the
past. This beauty may be the finest dry white of the vintage. Aromas of
nectarines, orange marmalade, rose petals, quince and buttered tropical
fruits are offered in a medium to full-bodied format with lots of freshness
and acidity. Consume it over the next 5-8 years. The 2008 Beaucastel
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes
has opened considerably since I tasted it last year. Superb notes of orange
marmalade, candle wax, rosewater, tropical fruit, spice and peachy/
apricot jam emerge from this stunning white wine. It should drink nicely
for 5-7 years. The 2009 Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
blanc reveals the greater intensity, richness and potential longevity of
this vintage. Made from the same blend as the 2008, the 2009 sees some
new oak (15%), but that component is totally hidden by copious notes
of quince, honeyed citrus, peaches and apricots. With good acidity as
well as a full-bodied mouthfeel, this stunning white should evolve for 7-8
years or longer. The Beaucastel 2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is off-the-charts in terms of
richness. Aged in one-year-old barrels (50%) and new oak (50%), with
no malolactic, it boasts stunning aromas and flavors of marmalade,
peaches, apricots, nectarines, mangoes, rose petals, crème brûlée and
buttered citrus. This full-bodied, gorgeously rich, voluptuously textured
white has enough acidity to carry it for a decade or more. If you want an
introduction to just how good the Perrin white wines are, check out the
Beaucastel 2009 Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet blanc. Sadly,
there are only 10,000 bottles of this cuvée, which sells for less than half
the price of their Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc. Made from 30% Viognier,
30% Bourboulenc, 30% Marsanne, and 10% Clairette, this beauty offers
up scents of honeysuckle, crushed rocks, quince and white currants in a
full-bodied, richly fruity style with laser-like minerality and acidity. It should
drink nicely for 2-3 years.
As for the red wines, very few 2008s were produced at Château de
Beaucastel...However, the 2008 Beaucastel Châteauneuf-duPape is one of the few outstanding wines produced in this vintage.
More evolved than Beaucastel’s wines tend to be, it reveals a healthy
dark plum/ruby color, notes of licorice, meat juices, smoked game,
black currants and garrigue, medium to full body, silky tannins, good
freshness, surprising depth for the vintage and a long finish. Drink it over
the next decade. No Hommage à Jacques Perrin was produced in 2008.
The 2009 Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet red
is just a notch behind its brilliant 2007 counterpart and could turn out to
be just as good. It boasts a deep ruby/purple hue in addition to abundant
aromas of framboise, black cherries, truffles, herbs, grilled steak and
meat blood. Spicy, peppery, rich and medium to full-bodied with silky
tannins, this beautiful, reasonably priced wine should drink well for 1012+ years. The 2009 Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (30%
Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise and the balance
other permitted varietals) exhibits an opaque purple color as well as
sweet aromas of camphor, truffles, black cherries, black currants, licorice,
pepper and forest floor. The wine is full-bodied, rich, intense and powerful.
Moreover, there is a lot more of the 2009 than there is of the 2008 (after
the strict selections, only 50% of the normal production was achieved).
Because of the significant tannins, the 2009 requires 3-5 years of bottle
age and should evolve for 25-30 years. The 2009 Beaucastel
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin (60%
Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah and the rest Counoise and Grenache) may turn
out to be the wine of the vintage. Its opaque purple color is followed by
notes of camphor, smoked herbs, sweet, smoky, gamy meat, blueberries,
blackberries, cherries and licorice. The wine possesses enormous
richness, but it is never heavy or overbearing. With exquisite precision,
an extraordinary finish and a fabulous texture, this is another prodigious
example of this cuvée, which was launched in 1989 (that wine is still an
infant at age 21). The 2009 should have 50+ years of longevity...at a
minimum.”
Imported by Vineyard Brands | Vineyard Brands Selections | www.vineyardbrands.com | BEAU125