Château de Beaucastel : Hommage à Jacques Perrin 2011

A little moody and inexpressive on the nose, showing some liquorice and earth, blackberry fruit. Beginning to take on some spice notes but this is still in a truculent phase. Full, round and concentrated on the palate – explosively fruity, and high in alcohol, a little unbalanced. Currently feeling a little unfriendly, so give it a little longer before opening, until at least 2022. In the context of other 2011 Châteauneufs this is a very good wine, but I suspect will never really put on a smile like the vintages on either side.

Saturated ruby. Heady, expansive aromas of black and blue fruit liqueur, potpourri and incense, with smoky Indian spices emerging with air. Juicy, strikingly intense blackberry and blueberry flavors are complicated by notes of minerals and candied violet, with a subtle peppery quality adding bite. Velvety tannins give shape to the extremely long, spicy, penetrating finish, with the floral note echoing. This stunning, palate-staining wine gets my vote as the best Chateauneuf of its vintage.

The most precocious vintage of Hommage Jacques Perrin I have ever tasted. Medium-bodied, elegant, floral, meaty, spicy, and peppery, with a wealth of dark, red, and black peppery, spicy, ripe fruits, and barbecue smoke on the palate. The luscious finish seals the deal. Drink from 2022-2035.

I continue to love the 2011 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin. It’s one of the more approachable vintages out there, very much in the style of this early-maturing vintage. A huge perfume of black and blue fruits, violets, Asian spices, licorice, and garrigue flows into a full-bodied, deep, beautifully concentrated 2011 with sweet tannins, a rounded, sexy texture, and a great, great finish. It’s on a relatively fast evolutionary track by this cuvée’s standards but will still keep for another 25 years or more.