Tasting Notes
Vinous 98
Beaucastel’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin is one of my very favorite wines. Unfortunately I don’t get a chance to drink it all that often. Our magnum of 1990 is truly magnificent. A wine that takes over all the senses, the 1990 impresses for its layered personality and breathtaking fruit. In a word: stunning. The baguette topped with ragout of beef ribs, pork shoulder and oyster mushrooms is perfect with these two aged, Old World reds.
Robert Parker 100
About as sexy as this cuvee gets, the 1990 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage À Jacques Perrin (60% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, and the rest Syrah and Counoise) is spectacular. Similar in style to the 2000, it comes from a hot, dry vintage (and a big crop) that resulted in perfect ripeness and low acidity in most of the varieties. Full-bodied, supple, seamless and silky, with sweet tannin, it has awesome aromatics of kirsch liqueur, currants, Provençal herbs, meat juice and exotic spices all literally soaring from the glass. At maturity and drinking brilliantly, it should hold nicely for another decade easily, and have a gradual decline after that. 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.
Anticipated maturity: 2014-2030
