2010 Vacqueyras Les Christins

The 2010 Vacqueyras Cristins, like most of these other 2010s, was just about ready to go into bottle. Dense garrigue, peppery, kirsch, black raspberry and currant notes, with hints of loamy soil and underbrush were present in this big, full-throttle wine, which is classic Vacqueyras. It should drink well for a decade. 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. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

A knockout Vacqueyras that’s up there with the 2007 vintage of this cuvee, the 2010 Famille Perrin Vacqueyras Les Christins (70% Grenache and 30% Syrah) is a beautifully complex, yet structured wine that shows perfumed aromas of black and red raspberry styled fruit, lavender, white and black pepper, and sappy garrigue on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, elegant, and concentrated, yet with a firm dose of tannic grip, this superb Vacqueyras needs 2-3 years to integrate its tannic structure, and will impress for a decade.

(75% grenache and 25% syrah, all planted on clay): Bright purple. Deep aromas of cherry and dark berries, with a spicy overtone. Shows very good clarity and power, with a late note of tangy minerals adding lift and cut.