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Saturated ruby. Remarkably deep nose combines cherry, raspberry, licorice, smoked meat and mineral notes, all lifted by an intense floral quality. A stunning example of freshness and precision married to power, with deep cassis, bitter cherry and candied licorice flavors enlivened by zesty minerality and framed by firm but harmonious tannins. "This is not about extraction," notes Perrin. The endless finish echoes the mineral and floral tones, showing a persistent lavender note. This was not yet bottled when I tasted it.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMA powerful, modern style, delivering a torrent of cassis and cocoa notes backed by a second wave of tar and fig paste. Densely structured from start to finish, with floral and mineral hints in the background. Pure and driven, this is steel-plated for the long haul. 60 percent Mourvèdre, with Grenache, Syrah and Counoise. Best from 2008 through 2027. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2004 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage À Jacques Perrin continues to show well, and was even more open from this bottle than from one earlier this year. While still youthful, it has beautiful complexity and depth on the palate, and certainly offers plenty of pleasure. Dark fruits, spice, cured meats, truffle and licorice all flow nicely to a full-bodied, concentrated, lively feel on the palate. It has bright acidity and fine tannin, and while it will never have the sheer decadence of a bigger year, it shines for its complexity, elegance and length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPShowing beautifully (as are most wines from this vintage), the 2004 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is reminiscent of the 1994, 1995, and 1999, as it relies more on complexity, elegance, and length than sheer richness and depth. Blackcurrants, cured meats, black truffle, licorice, and peppery garrigue notes all emerge from this full-bodied, rich, concentrated effort that has the higher acidity of the vintage, yet backs it up with beautiful fruit. It’s going to continue drinking nicely for another 10-12 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDAromatically speaking this isn’t quite as detailed and precise as most other vintages of Hommage, but there is plenty of squished blackberry fruit among polished wood and beeswax notes. It’s only medium-bodied on the palate, but then builds on the finish. Still plenty of slightly drying tannin, 2004 is a very tannic Hommage. The alcohol sticks out a bit, so not the most harmonious year; it feels a bit unsure of itself at this stage. I would give it another couple of years, it can’t do any harm. Drinking Window 2022 - 2036Decanter | 94 DEC(Châteauneuf du Pape “Hommage à Jacques Perrin”- Château de Beaucastel) Interestingly, the 2004 Hommage à Jacques Perrin is another full point lower in alcohol than the 2005, coming in at 13.5 percent octane. The wine is a step up in complexity on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet wafting from the glass in a still youthful blend of cassis, leather, licorice, tree bark, dark soil tones, cedar and a topnote of cigar smoke. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, nascently complex and ripely tannic, with a fine core, good structure and the first vintage in this series that shows some serious soil signature on the long finish. Good juice and much more in keeping with the high reputation of this bottling. (Drink between 2022-2040)John Gilman | 93 JG

No Hommage a Jacques Perrin was made in 2008, but the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin is an utterly perfect wine. Composed of 60% Mourvedre, 20% Syrah, and the rest Counoise and Grenache, this prodigious effort boasts an inky/blue/purple color to the rim in addition to an exceptional bouquet of camphor, roasted meats, blueberries, black cherries, black currants, truffles, beef blood, pepper, and incense. The sumptuous aromatics are followed by a wine of compelling intensity, full-bodied power, perfect balance, laser-like focus, and a finish that lasts more than a minute. The 2007’s texture reminds me of the 1998 Jacques Perrin, and the freshness of the fruit and explosive aromatics are to die for. There are only 500 cases of this legend in the making, but for those lucky enough to find any, it will last for 40-60 years.One of the great estates of the Rhone Valley, Chateau Beaucastel has been run by several generations of the Perrin family, beginning with the late Jacques Perrin (who died in 1978), then the brothers Jean-Pierre and Francois, and now their sons Thomas, Marc, Pierre, and Mathieu. Beaucastel has nearly 200 acres in vine in Chateauneuf du Pape, and they have branched out with an impressive operation under the Perrin et Fils label, purchasing grapes and acquiring land (in Vinsobres and Gigondas, for example). Their goal is to become the most recognized name for high quality wines in the southern Rhone. As shrewd consumers know, one of the best values in under $10 a bottle wine is La Vieille Ferme. The Perrin et Fils cuvees include wines made from purchased grapes as well as their new acquisitions in Vinsobres, Gigondas (25 acres), and the Cotes du Rhone village of Cairanne (35 acres). The Perrins enjoyed tremendous success with their 2008 red wines, largely because yields ranged between 18 hectoliters per hectare for Beaucastel, to only 20 hectoliters per hectare for Coudoulet. The mildew that affected everyone was the culprit. The entire family acknowledged there was an extraordinary triage and culling out of the grapes at the sorting tables.Robert Parker | 100 RPI continue to be blown away by the 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin and it’s a magical, hedonistic, thrilling wine in every way. A blend of 60% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, and the balance Counoise and Grenache brought up in a large oak foudre, it offers to-die-for notes of roasted Provencal herbs, black truffles, assorted red and black fruits, ground pepper, lavender, and incense. Thick, opulent, full-bodied and incredibly powerful on the palate, it has the sexy, fruit-loaded style of the vintage front and center yet backs it up with masses of tannins and structure. Drink it any time over the coming two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis has all the heady, dense crushed fig, linzer torte, currant confiture and melted licorice flavors of the vintage, but carries them effortlessly, thanks to perfectly embedded tannins and gorgeous, creamy layers of tar, roasted mesquite, braised chestnut, maduro tobacco and iron. Offering amazing mouthfeel, a stunning array of flavors and awesome density, purity and length, this shows the glory of Mourvèdre in 2007. Best from 2012 through 2035. 580 cases made.Wine Spectator | 99 WSStill opaquely coloured. Interesting nose; meat stock, smoked duck, struck flint, cigar tobacco - a very smoky, savoury style. It’s opulent, with a soft, yielding texture, this is ready for business now. It’s very rich, exceedingly opulent, the alcohol is very high. Great depth and length, with star anise on the finish - almost has a mulled character. Incredible length; a narcotic vintage of Hommage that is atypical and unforgettable. A wine to share among friends, a glass would be enough. Perhaps two... Drinking Window 2019 - 2050.Decanter | 99 DEC(based on 70% mourvedre) Opaque ruby color. Remarkably complex bouquet of dark berry compote, potpourri, sandalwood, smoked meat and licorice, complemented by a smoky mineral overtone. Broad, palate-coating dark fruit flavors pick up notes of candied flowers and licorice with air and show a pungent Indian spice character. Becomes more floral with air and leaves sweet cherry and floral pastille notes behind. I’d buy all of this that I could afford.Vinous Media | 97 VM

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.Robert Parker | 100 RPAnother perfect wine from this family is the 2010 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin, an incredibly concentrated, powerful, backward wine that’s just now starting to shed its baby fat and tannins. Massive notes of black and blue fruits, black truffle, ground pepper, and a beautiful sense of minerality all flow to a full-bodied, deep, awesome wine that has a huge mid-palate, riveting purity of fruit, and a finish that won’t quit. Incredibly classic in style and reminding me of a hypothetical mix of the 1989 and 1990, it can be drunk with incredible pleasure over the coming 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDBeginning to enter its second phase of life - there’s development here, but it’s still a bit dumb and inexpressive - don’t open it yet. Taking on some woodland notes, wet bark and turned earth. Very powerful on the palate, with perfectly ripe, massy tannins, incredible depth and length. Great freshness, huge power, such impact. It needs at least 15 years in bottle before opening, and 20 would be better. A monumental wine. Drinking Window 2025 - 2065.Decanter | 100 DEC(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.Vinous Media | 97 VM

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape flirts with perfection. A classic blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and the rest Syrah, Vaccarese and Counoise, all aged in large foudres in Clos des Papes’s air-conditioned and humidity-controlled wine cellar, the wine boasts a dense purple color along with lots of gorgeously pure black raspberry, black currant and kirsch liqueur notes intermixed with notions of spring flowers, tapenade, licorice and spice box. This dense, full-bodied, powerful Chateauneuf is also remarkably fresh and well-delineated. It even exceeded the 2007 in natural alcohol, coming in at 15.9%. With an extraordinary texture and considerable tannin in the finish, it will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age, and is built for 25-30 years of cellaring. Don’t miss it!This admirably run estate has essentially been practicing biodynamic farming for nearly 15 years, but they were not certified as biodynamic until 2011.Robert Parker | 99 RP(Clos Des Papes Chateauneuf Du Pape) Utterly classic Clos de Papes in every way, the 2010 Châteauneuf du Pape is still youthful and in its early adolescent phase, offering a beautiful mix of still pure, clean fruit and more peppery, spicy, leather, and complex Southern Rhône-like street market goodness. Rich and powerful on the palate, it’s flawlessly balanced, has ripe, polished tannins, and a monster of a finish. It’s just a beautiful, quintessential example of this First Growth-like estate in the South of France.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDLots of cocoa powder and coffee frame a massive block of dark plum, black currant and fig fruit, while massively endowed tannins stride from start to finish. Cassis, anise and Lapsang souchong tea notes hang in the background for now, but should emerge more with extended cellaring. The very dark, almost brooding finish is dominated by charcoal-coated grip, but the purity still wins out in the end. A very, very large wine. Best from 2017 through 2035. 5,600 cases made, 710 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSUndoubtedly one of the greatest Châteauneuf vintages of recent times, up there with the 1990 - and perhaps the 2016; time will tell. It’s deeply coloured still at seven years of age. Deep, dark and brooding on the nose, it’s starting to take on some balsamic and forest floor notes. The palate is very harmonious, powerful and assertive, with firm, structural tannins. This is still very fresh, sinewy and tightly wound - it’s not ready yet, but will be spectacular when it is. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 98 DECInky ruby. Potent, intensely perfumed aromas on raspberry liqueur, cherry-cola, anise and smoky garrigue. Spicy and incisive, offering palate-staining red and dark berry flavors that become richer with air. Shows a superb balance of richness and vivacity, with dusty tannins giving grip to a long, spice- and floral-dominated finish. One of the top wines from the entire Rhone from this outstanding vintage.Vinous Media | 96 VM

The 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de Mon Aïeul is another gorgeous wine from this family estate. As always it comes from three Grenache parcels: la Serres, La Crau and La Guigasse (there are 2 hectares in each parcel). In both 2015 and 2016 this cuvée wasn’t destemmed and was brought up mostly in tank, with 15-20% in demi-muids. The 2016 spent a huge 45 days on skins before being pressed to barrel. This beauty offers the fine, finesse-driven style of the vintage, yet has full-bodied depth and richness as well as sensational notes of framboise, crushed flowers, licorice, Christmas fruitcake and spice. It’s in the top handful of wines in the vintage and will benefit from short-term cellaring and have 20+ years of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA bolder, more concentrated and compressed expression with darker plum and cherry fruits on the nose and palate. The power and concentration here is impressive. Gently chocolate-flavored at the finish. Terrific wine. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JS(aged entirely in concrete vats) Lurid ruby-red. Exotic, intensely perfumed aromas of candied red and blue fruits, lavender and peppery spices, joined by a slowly emerging hint of garrigue. Fleshy and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated raspberry, cherry and fruitcake flavors and a spicy suggestion of white pepper. Shows excellent focus and a seamless quality on the finish, which is framed by suave, slow-building tannins.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMNext to the traditional cuvée, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul is even riper and more concentrated, but that’s not always a good thing. This all-Grenache cuvée offers fudge-like density and rich tannins but also cooked, dead-fruit flavors and bright acidity on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

I was also able to taste the 2016 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Da Capo, which comes mostly from older vines in the La Crau lieu-dit and spends an additional year in a large foudre. The 2016 vintage was truly magical for the region, and this Cuvée Da Capo is unquestionably one of the finest vintages for this cuvée ever made, in the same league as, if not surpassing, the 1998, 2003, 2007, and 2010. Sensational notes of cured meats, crème de cassis, crushed violets, ground pepper, tapenade, truffle, and sweet herbes de Provence all soar from the glass and it hits the palate with a massive, full-bodied style that stays seamless, weightless, and as pure as they come. Traditional, classic Châteauneuf Du Pape doesn’t get better. I hate to be the guy who throws out the “best to date” line very often, but this is truly magical stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDAs impressive as the Cuvée Réservée is, the 2016 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée da Capo brings an extra level of intensity. Turn that volume up to 11 or even 12. Waves of black cherries, plums and chocolate wash across the full-bodied, velvety palate, lingering nearly forever on the finish. As big and bold as it is, it remains breathtakingly elegant and fine. It should evolve gracefully through at least 2040.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPBlack-cherry and plum flavors are ripe but pertly balanced in this Grenache blend. It’s spicy and intensely aromatic, wafting of cloves, allspice and caramel, yet revitalizing and mineral too. The finish is endlessly long, fringed by fine, taut tannins. It’s stunning now but should improve through 2036 and hold further still.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEVivid ruby. Intensely perfumed dark berry, cherry preserve and licorice aromas are complemented by hints of game, exotic spices and candied lavender. Deep, sweet and expansive on the palate, offering densely packed raspberry, cola and floral pastille flavors and a strong suggestion of spicecake. Shows superb clarity and power on a ridiculously long, sappy finish that eventually leaves behind cherry liqueur and bitter chocolate notes.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is richly fruited, with succulent plum, boysenberry and fig preserve flavors that are seamlessly layered and laced with warm anise, black tea and smoldering tobacco notes. The long finish features well-embedded chalky grip that gives this cut to match the lush fruit. A beauty. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2021 through 2040. 833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSAll 13 varieties have been used from lieux-dits La Crau, Les Escondudes and Mont Pertuis, with no destemming. There’s some complexity and interest on the nose already, with aromas of violets, blueberries, raspberries and a touch of tobacco leaf. The wine is medium to full-bodied, but without any heaviness, with sublime freshness and piercing acidity. This has real life, and a lightness of touch which delivers real drinkability. Very fine, abundant ripe tannins work like a lattice through the fruit. The fairly raised levels of alcohol don’t give a sense of imbalance in the wine, and it finishes on a lifted note. The best Da Capo in a long time. Real elegance. Drinking Window 2020 - 2036Decanter | 97 DECThis is the second year in a row that the Férauds have bottled this rare cuvée, made only in exceptional vintages. The 2016 is even more intense than the 2015, with a bright energy that makes it inviting despite its size. A blend of all 13 red-wine varieties permitted in the appellation, fermented in whole bunches with ambient yeasts in tank, it uses stemmy herbal notes to lift the masses of dark, figgy fruit, taking it into higher, fresher registers of roses and seedy strawberries, cracked peppercorns and garrigue. The tannins and alcohol are not harsh, but intense enough to suggest this is best left untouched in the cellar for five years, or even 15.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&SAn impressive wine for the concentration and punchy fruit impact. Pears, melons and assertive lemon citrus weighs in on the palate. The length and purity is stunning. A gently savory, pastry-like edge to the finish. Will age superbly. Try from 2020.James Suckling | 93 JS

Lastly, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape XXL is pure magic and one of the most singular wines out there. Based on 65% Grenache and the rest Syrah and other varieties, it was only 30% destemmed and brought up all in demi-muids. Where previous vintages of this beauty were almost over the top, the 2019 shows a more elegant, pure, balanced profile as well as incredible aromatics of ripe red and black fruits, herbes de Provence, ground pepper, violets, and other notes of Southern Rhône-like goodness. Incredibly powerful and opulent, it somehow manages to stay perfectly balanced, has a wonderful sense of freshness, silky yet substantial tannins, and an awesome finish. Unfortunately, there are just over 300 cases produced, so it won’t be easy to find, but this ranks with the all-time greats. It deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and should evolve for 30 years if well-stored.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JD