I’ve never been completely sold on this Beaucastel offering. Maybe it’s the Mourvedre as it might just not be my personal preference. I’m typically underwhelmed. I’ve also found that they reach their maturity window a bit earlier than other CdP’s but again, maybe Mourvedre’s aging window is a bit shorter than grenache. Either way, I figured I’d check in on this classic vintage of the Perrin.
Tight on opening and after about two hours in the decanter, it started to show it’s fruit. The nose is slightly muted giving up some ripened red cherries and pine. The tannins are soft and dusty and well integrated. This wine is all about nuance as the fruit neither dominates nor is overshadowed. Dark cherry and brine with some notes of cedar. Beautiful wine that I believe to be right in the initial stages of it’s drinking window. How long will it last? I’m not confident it won’t start to fade just slightly after another 5-7yrs. I just don’t have enough experience with Mourvedre to understand how long the fruit will hold steady as it’s already soft and medium bodied. Excellent wine though for me…likely not worth the current market price.
Mourvèdre actually makes it far more age worthy. It contributes much of the structure to the wine and it can sometimes take a while for the tannins to fall off and reveal some the dark fruit and meaty, gamey notes.
My impression is that you’re disappointed because you’ve been drinking them too young. In many cases Mourvèdre heavy wines enter closed stages earlier and stay in them longer.
Again, I don’t have much experience with Mourvedre to understand their aging windows and development characteristics. I have enough of them to hold and taste periodically. I’ll try another one in 3-4yrs to see what I get. I appreciate the feedback. I’m curious to see if the tertiaries develop much like red Burgs as the fruit density and concentration in these are much less than their grenache counterparts.
Absolutely. I doubt that there are a dozen CdPs in the history of the appellation that can stand toe to toe with most any vintage of this wine. It is not a typical CdP, to be sure. It is much, much better…
You also may want to pick up some Domaine Tempier Bandols such as La Migoua, La Tourtine or the Cabassou. Once they get to 10+ years of age, they usually sing and taste very different from when they are young. Chateau Pibarnon makes good wines as well. The advantage of the Bandols is that you are at a much lower price point than the Hommage is.
I agree with the board sentiment that the Hommage is slower in its evolutionary curve. It’s always insightful to drink a vintage of Hommage, regular Beau and coudoulet together. You see the difference in approach as well as evolutionary curve. I personally wouldn’t touch any Hommage with less than 20 years. A recent 94 was far more backward than the regular bottling.
Stateside Beaucastel being Tablas Creek? If so, I completely agree. I imagine that the Tablas Creek Panoplie (most recent release was 65% Mourvedre, 26% Grenache and 9% Syrah) will share a similar trajectory to the Hommage. I would think that the slightly riper nature might make it more accessible though. I’ve been thinking about ordering some of it en primeur for only $67 a bottle.
Both Coudoulet and CNP have ~30% Mourvedre, while the HJP is as high as 60-70%. I think it could be argued that Coudoulet is a CDR in name only given its adjacent proximity to the main vineyard and the arcane regulation relegating it to CDR, but almost always the Coudoulet lacks the stuffing/mid pallate you find in the regular bottling. This to me becomes punctuated at 10+ years bottle age as the Coudoulet feels a bit more hollow in comparison.
The Coudoulet is on the other side of the old Roman road (which became the A7) from the CNP, but the geology is different. My recollection is that the elevage is the same, so it’s an interesting test of terroir.
ETA, the Hommage is a different animal, and I wouldn’t touch one before 20 years either. I still haven’t started with my 1998’s of the regular CNP, though. I’ve had a couple of the Y2K and think it still has positive evolution.
Interesting. Thanks for everyone’s thoughts as it’s certainly educational. It will be interesting to see how these develop and if/when/how the fruit develops and moves to the front. I guess the Mouvedre does a sound job in cloaking itself within the overall body of the wine.
In my opinion Beaucastel (Hommage or not) is one of the slowest evolving and longest lasting CdP’s available. Well-stored bottles of 1978 and 1981 are sublime. I’ve also found that so called “off” vintages are really good – 1988, 1994 – and half the price . . .
