Hommage à Jacques Perrin 2017

Loaded with mulberry and blueberry fruit, graced by hints of star anise, cardamom, cinnamon and allspice, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin is another standout vintage for this wine. Full-bodied, rich, velvety and long on the finish, at this point, it's maybe not quite as sure a thing to reach the century score as the beyond-superlative 2018, but I wouldn't rule it out. This is seriously great wine.

A great vintage for mourvedre in 2017, it represents 60% of this blend. Picked late, at the beginning of October, this has a very rich, dark-stone, leather, grilled-meat and slate nose with black fruit and wild herbs. The palate has a rich, smooth and long core of noble tannin with a wealth of dark cherries and dark plums. Long, suave tannins command the finish, where there’s a a late kick of spice. Good potential, ripeness and concentration. As with the regular Beaucastel Châteauneuf, the intensity and plushness of tannin is a highlight here. Try from 2025.

On another level, the brilliant 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is just about all Mourvèdre (there are small amounts of Grenache, Syrah, and Counoise) brought up in a large foudre. It reveals a saturated purple color as well as a super-rich, blockbuster-styled bouquet of blackcurrants, blackberries, ground pepper, truffle, charcuterie, and God knows what else. With full-bodied richness, a stacked, opulent mid-palate, building tannins, and a sensational finish, it’s another perfect wine from this team and is unquestionably in the same realm as the 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2016. Give bottles 7-8 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 40-50 years.