2012 Beaucastel - Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin
International Wine Cellar | Rating: 96
Dark purple. Powerful aromas of cherry liqueur, licorice pastille and pungent flowers, with exotic Indian spice and mocha overtones. Dense, sweet and broad, offering intense black and blue fruit preserve, violet and spicecake flavors enlivened by juicy acidity. Fine-grained tannins build slowly through the clinging, appealingly sweet finish, which shows outstanding clarity and persistence and lingering florality. One of the standouts of the vintage and surprisingly approachable for this bottling, although drinking it before its tenth birthday would seem like a shame to me.Author: Josh RaynoldsWine Spectator | Rating: 96
Serious, with dark fig, black currant and blackberry confiture notes forming a large-scale core, while licorice snap, Turkish coffee and pastis details lend an expansive feel. The long, dense finish has a brooding personality now, with a warm cast-iron note echoing. Should be a stunner when it reaches its peak.Author: James MolesworthWine Advocate | Rating: 99
The wine of the vintage is the Perrin's 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin, and it will most likely merit a perfect rating in another couple of years. Full-bodied, massive and layered on the palate, with awesome purity and freshness, it delivers incredible aromatics of beef blood, truffle, graphite, iron and black and blue fruits. Given all of the fruit and texture, you almost have to hunt for the structure here, but trust me, it's there. The tasting at Beaucastel took place a 9 a.m., and even then, this is one wine I found impossible to spit. It's a tour de force that will have 3-4 decades of life.Author: Jeb Dunnuck
Click here to listen to GrapeRadio's podcast about Ch. Beaucastel (Show #142, 42:50 min 20 MB)
See other similar producers:Clos du Mont Olivet,Domaine Pierre Usseglio et Fils
While the Northern Rhône is known mostly for single-varietal wines from Syrah or Viognier, the Southern Rhône is known for complex blends. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, for example, allows up to 13 different varieties in a blend leaving winemakers ample room to experiment. This variation makes it almost impossible to describe a typical Rhône blend. Regardless of style, the common goal of these winemakers is to manage high tannin and alcohol levels in order to produce a balanced wine.
The most widely planted variety, Grenache, dominates most Rhône blends and adds concentrated spiced red fruit flavors with cinnamon, raspberry, and tobacco characteristics. Syrah and Mourvèdre add color and tannin, with Syrah contributing aromas of blueberry, pepper, and bacon while Mourvèdre adds dense black fruit flavors and gamey and meaty aromas. Cinsault provides red fruit flavor. For the best expression of this complex blend turn to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and classic producers like Château de Beaucastel, Clos des Papes, or Domaine du Pegau.
Many New-World wine regions, particularly in California and Australia, have adopted this winemaking method. The best examples come from San Luis Obispo producers Saxum, Sine Qua Non, and Alban.
The complexity and spice-forward flavor profile of Rhône blends pair best with herb-roasted turkey, pork chops, a range of cheeses, or spiced vegetables.
Collector Data For This Wine
- 346 bottles owned
- 42 collectors