Château de Beaucastel : Hommage à Jacques Perrin 2020

Gorgeous florality on the nose, fresh rose petals and sweet red fruits, so beguiling and tempting. Beautiful fragranced fruit on the palate, the roses really continue all the way, edging the fruit and giving the palate such scent. Tannins are smooth and well integrated and this has a gorgeous texture, full and generous but silky smooth and so delectable. Excellent acidity gives freshness and energy and underpins the flavours giving a lovely hit of spiced liquorice, caramelised nuts and cola cubes. Feels really well worked, intense and concentrated but excellent definition and focus. A stylish and seductive wine. Hold onto for a few years. 5% Counoise completes the blend.

75% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 10% Grenache, 5% Counoise. Harvest 30 August to 4 October. Cool vintage. Organic. Mid ruby colour. Very high‑toned and slightly animal on the nose, with layers of violets, cherry blossom and leather. The palate has hints of iris and game, together with lots of red fruit – there is an almost Pinot‑like delicacy to this vintage. Fragrant and highly polished, this is an immediate Hommage that may not be the most profound vintage, but it is a delight to drink. (TP)

The 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin is a monumental effort. It dazzles with pristine aromas of rose water, crushed violets, red and black cherry, blueberry, forest strawberry, licorice, dried lavender, bay leaves, sage, black olive and cardamom. Firmly formed like a skyscraper, the wine continuously builds on the palate, revealing layer upon layer of jewel-like fruit. As the taste develops, pixelated tannins enter the scene, adding to the wine’s seamless mouthfeel. Despite the elevated flavor concentration, the wine is so light on its feet that tasting it is an almost ethereal moment. Kudos to César Perrin and his team for making one of the wines of the vintage.

Flowers, wet earth, blue fruit, licorice, and dark red fruits are everywhere on the nose and palate. The wine is intense, powerful, and concentrated, yet light on its feet. There is grace, elegance, and balance, with a chewy, meaty, peppery, chalky edge on the finish that holds your attention for at least 60 seconds. The wine blends 75% Mourvèdre and equal parts Grenache and Syrah. The 2020 blend represents the highest percentage of Mourvèdre ever used in Hommage, going all the way back to 1989. Picking on the Mourvèdre began October 15, which is also the latest picking date for Mourvèdre. Like all the great vintages of Hommage, this is a wine for patient collectors, as you need to give it at least 10 years of aging, and 20 would be even better! Drink from 2030–2060.

On another level, the saturated purple-hued 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin offers up a sensational bouquet of blueberries, ripe black cherries, smoked game, spring flowers, graphite, and ground pepper. It's rich, full-bodied, has building tannins, stunning purity of fruit, and a gorgeous finish. It deserves 7-8 years of bottle age but will evolve for 30 years if well stored.