Famille Perrin : Réserve 2023

Tasting characteristics and advice for Famille Perrin’s Réserve 2023

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a deep, brilliant ruby-red hue, lifted by violet highlights that reflect the concentration of the fruit.

Nose

The nose charms with its intensity and complexity. It opens on aromas of candied red fruits and plum, joined by spicy notes of star anise and white pepper. A delicate touch of eucalyptus brings freshness, while hints of forest floor and truffle emerge with aeration.

Palate

On the palate, this wine offers a fine balance between roundness and structure. The attack is warm and fruit-forward, followed by a mid-palate supported by silky, well-integrated tannins. Flavors of black fruits, sweet spices, and minerality carry through to an elegant finish marked by notes of truffle and wild blackberry.

Food and wine pairings

This Côtes du Rhône pairs perfectly with braised meats such as daube provençale or osso buco. It also matches beautifully with herb-crusted lamb chops, pepper steak, or game dishes. Aged, hard cheeses make an excellent pairing as well.

Serving and cellaring

Réserve 2023 is ideally enjoyed at a temperature of 16-18°C. Decanting for around thirty minutes allows its aromas to fully express themselves. This wine can be enjoyed now and will continue to evolve until around 2030.

A fruity, elegant Côtes du Rhône from the Rhône Valley

The estate

Famille Perrin is now the largest owner of organic vineyards across the finest terroirs of the Southern Rhône Valley. The family story begins in 1909 with the acquisition of Château de Beaucastel, but it was truly from 1950 onward that the family established itself as a pioneer of organic viticulture, followed by biodynamic farming as early as 1974. Now led by the fifth generation with Jean-Pierre, François, and their seven children, the family manages more than 300 hectares of vines across several prestigious appellations. Their philosophy is rooted in respect for terroir and sustainable practices, producing outstanding wines across all price levels.

The vineyard

This Côtes du Rhône wine comes primarily from the Grand Prébois vineyard, located near Orange, complemented by parcels in Vinsobres. The soils are made up of stony limestone clay and gravel for Grenache, while the higher-altitude terraces of Vinsobres offer quartz-rich soils and marly limestone for Syrah. This diversity of terroirs brings mineral complexity and natural freshness to the wine.

The vintage

The 2023 vintage in the Rhône Valley was marked by a mild winter followed by a dry spring and a particularly hot summer, especially in August and September. Despite a moderate water deficit, these conditions allowed for ideal ripening of the grapes. Hand-harvesting began on August 22 under excellent sanitary conditions and concluded on October 4, giving rise to wines that are balanced, concentrated, and endowed with wonderful freshness.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Réserve 2023 are harvested by hand at optimal ripeness, then sorted and fully destemmed. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks of 150 to 190 hectoliters, with measured punch-downs guided by regular tastings. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged for about a year, split between stainless-steel tanks and large wooden foudres, preserving the fruit’s freshness while developing subtle aromatic complexity.

Grape varieties

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre.