BEAUCASTEL 2014 HOMMAGE A JACQUES PERRIN

WINE ADVOCATE 94 - 96 POINTS - "Probably the wine of the vintage (I feel like I say that every year for this cuvee), the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is a substantial, full-bodied, shockingly concentrated 2014 that gives up classic notes of blackberries, blueberries, forest floor, beef blood and licorice. Mouth-coating and rich with building tannin, it will be approachable at an earlier age than most vintages, yet will still need 5-6 years of cellaring. While 2013 and 2014 are no doubt difficult vintages, this is still a brilliant lineup of wines from the Perrin Family. When speaking about 2014, Marc Perrin commented that there was a lot of mildew pressure and they had to work extremely hard in the vineyard. Yields were down 40% due to dropped fruit, and I think their commitment to quality shows in the wines. The estate excelled in 2013 as well, and both their classic Châteauneuf du Pape and the tiny production Hommage a Jacques Perrin are some of the wines of the vintage. Looking at precipitation between recent vintages, 2014 received 900 millimeters and 2013 slightly less at 700 millimeters (600-650 is average)."

VINOUS 93-95 POINTS - "An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes mineral-tinged dark fruit preserves and incense, and a sexy floral element gains power with air. Fleshy, seamless and sweet, offering intense blueberry, cherry liqueur and floral pastille flavors enlivened by juicy acidity. The floral note comes back emphatically with air and carries through an impressively long, youthfully tannic finish, which leaves a smoky mineral note behind. The alcohol here is quite low for the region, clocking in at 14.3%."