Reviews & Scores
($425; a blend of 60% mourvedre, 20% grenache, 10% syrah and 10% counoise) Saturated ruby-red. Highly complex, very primary, inky nose hints at blackberry, black cherry, licorice, spicecake and tree bark; dominated by the mourvedre. Then dense, thick and sappy in the mouth, with brooding black fruit and mineral flavors and superb precision. Hints of meat and leather lurk, but, like the regular release, this is extremely backward and dominated by dark fruits. Offers superb thickness without any excess weight, and a wonderfully seamless, elegant texture. Finishes extremely long, with very fine tannins. A unique critter: a Chateauneuf du Pape with just 20% grenache. Likely to develop in bottle for two decades or more.
ST95February 2004
The 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin is a blend of 60% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 10% Counoise, and 10% Syrah. Full-bodied, excruciatingly backward, and nearly impenetrable, it boasts an inky/blue/purple color in addition to a promising nose of new saddle leather, melted asphalt, camphor, blackberries, smoky, roasted herbs, and Asian spices. A huge lashing of tannin as well as a formidable structure result in the antithesis of its more flattering, forward, and voluptuous sibling, the classic Beaucastel. Readers lucky enough to come across this cuvee should plan on waiting at least a decade before it begins to approach adolescence. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2040.
WA99February 2004
This is just starting to shed its cloak of dark, bittersweet Valrhona chocolate and brooding tar notes, unfurling a core of cassis, blackberry paste and plum reduction that has a terrifically broad, fleshy feel. Still has some grip to shed on the finish though, where roasted mesquite, iron and sanguine notes wait in reserve. Seems on course to be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage.—2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape non-blind retrospective (November 2011). Drink now through 2026.
WS95