schiller-wine: Tasting at the Caveau of the Perrin Family in Châteauneuf du Pape - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Pictures: Tasting at the Caveau of the Perrin Family in Châteauneuf du Pape - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Following

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique in Courthézon, Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner Véronique Bonnet and Owner/ Winemaker Eric Bonnet - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

we checked out the small but famous village of Châteaunauf du Pape and had lunch there. We also drove up to the Pope’s summer palace that gave the village and vineyard appellation its name. Also, right in the center of town you find the caveau of the Perrin family. We had a tasting of Famille Perrin wines, including Château de Beaucastel.

Famille Perrin

wine-searcher.com: Famille Perrin is a leading wine producer and négociant in the southern Rhône Valley. The business was established in 1997, and today makes wines from some of the region's most famous appellations, including Vacqueyras, Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The Perrin family has been making wine in the region since the early 1900s, when scientist Pierre Perrin inherited the Château de Beaucastel estate. Perrin's grandchildren, François and Jean-Pierre, founded the Famille Perrin business together before passing on the reins two years later to the fifth-generation Perrin, Pierre, in 1999.

In addition to its renowned Château de Beaucastel estate, Famille Perrin's portfolio includes Miraval, Domaine du Clos des Tourelles and La Vielle Ferme. Domaine du Clos des Tourelles is situated in Gigondas and comprises 10 hectares (25 acres) of vineyards planted to 80 percent Grenache, with smaller plantings of Syrah, Cinsaut and Mourvèdre. The La Vielle Ferme brand was established in the 1970s, and comprises a range of red, rosé and white wines from vineyards in Ventoux and Luberon. Famille Perrin uses organic and biodynamic approaches in its vineyards.

The company's red and rosé wines include the likes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhone Villages and Tavel, all based predominantly on Grenache. The white wines include Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc made from Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc, as well as Côtes du Rhône Blanc based on a blend of Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne.

eatlovesavour.com: From the legendary Château de Beaucastel to the partnership with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at Miraval, Famille Perrin has experienced more than a century of success. Voted Personality of the Year 2014 by the leading European wine magazine – Decanter Magazine – Famille Perrin is now the largest owner of vineyards in the best terroirs of the Southern Rhone Valley. Famille Perrin is both a pioneer and visionary family: a pioneer in organic farming since 1953 and in biodynamic winegrowing since 1970, the first to have used the Rhone varietals in the U.S. and to believe in the potential of Paso Robles from 1989. The family also promotes its region with the creation of the L’Oustalet restaurant and hotel, at the heart of a wine growing village in Gigondas (Provence).

Robert Parker, Oct 2011: Brothers Jean-Pierre and Francois Perrin as well as their four sons, Thomas, Marc, Pierre and Mathieu, have quickly become the dominate wine producers of the entire southern Rhone Valley. Now having over 1,200 acres in vine and extensive contracts, this is a high quality locomotive, great news for consumers seeking a range of top quality red and white wines in all price ranges. The Perrins’ greatest success is undeniably their enormous quantities of high quality, inexpensive wines called La Vieille Ferme, a white from the Cotes du Luberon and a red from the Cotes du Ventoux. The Perrins are now the top producers of wines from the cool climate southern Rhone appellation of Vinsobres, located in the northern sector of the region… and in 2008, the Perrins purchased one of the better estates in Gigondas, Clos des Tourelles, a 25 acre property located at the southern end of the village from which they make two cuvees. True stars in the Perrin portfolio are the white and red Cotes du Rhone from their estate called Coudoulet which is adjacent to the appellation of Chateauneuf du Pape. As longtime readers know, Chateau de Beaucastel makes two of the great white wines of the southern Rhone.”

Château de Beaucastel - Châteauneuf du Pape
Miraval – Provence
Domaine du Clos des Tourelles
Famille Perrin - Les Crus
Famille Perrin - Les Sélections Parcellaires
Domaine & Maison Les Alexandrins
La Vieille Ferme

Tasting at the Caveau of the Perrin Family

Right in the center of town you find the caveau of the Perrin family, owners of Château de Beaucastel.

Pictures: Tasting at the Caveau of the Perrin Family in Châteauneuf du Pape - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Château de Beaucastel

Château de Beaucastel is primarily noted for its Châteauneuf du Pape wines produced in a long-lived style. For its red Châteauneuf du Pape, Beaucastel includes all 13 grape varieties that are traditionally part of the blend, and uses a higher-than-usual proportion of Mourvèdre. Château de Beaucastel holds a total of 130 hectares of land, of which 100 hectares is planted with vineyards, three-quarters of which is within the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation.

In 1909, the property was bought by Pierre Tramier. After him, his son-in-law Pierre Perrin took over, and expanded Château de Beaucastel's vineyard holdings considerably. The property has stayed in the Perrin family since. After Pierre Perrin, Becaustel was managed by Jacques Perrin until 1978, and after that Jacques' sons Jean Pierre Perrin and François Perrin.

In 1990 Jean-Pierre and François Perrin in collaboration with wine importer Robert Haas founded Tablas Creek Vineyard within the California viticultural area of Paso Robles.

Beaucastel generally vinfies the components for its wines in large, old barrels (foudres), with only Syrah exposed to some new oak. The different grape varieties are vinified separately and later blended.

A somewhat contentious aspect of Beaucastel winemaking is that the wines often show Brettanomyces character, which in most cases are considered a defect, but which is also typical for wines high in Mourvèdre.

The Pope's Summer Palace

Today we can only see the ruins of the medieval castle which sits at the top of the village and dominates the landscape to the south. It was built in 1320. The Popes of Avignon built their summer palace here to get away from busy Avignon. Only two walls and the foundation remain of the château. The walls are facing the village, and you see them from afar. They are still high and imposing, giving a good impression how it must have been centuries ago.

Pictures: At the Pope's Summer Palace in Châteaunauf du Pape

Visit of the Village of Châteauneuf du Pape

We checked out the small but famous village of Châteaunauf du Pape and had lunch there There are many wine shops ‘caveau’ where you can taste wines that offers tastings. Châteauneuf-du-Pape was the first vineyard in France, in 1924, to have all of its wine protected as an established name. This was the forerunner of the AOC – now AOP classification.