2009  Hommage a Jacques Perrin, WA99

"Potentially the wine of the vintage, the 2009 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin had just been bottled two weeks before my visit. A wine of extraordinary density, richness, precision and unreal flavor intensity, it reveals abundant gamey, meaty notes intermixed with smoked duck, Provencal herbs, blueberries, blackberries, kirsch and licorice. This loaded, multidimensional, massively concentrated 2009 is much softer than most Hommages. It should be drinkable in 3-4 years and keep for 30-40 years thereafter." - 99pts, Wine Advocate 10/11

2009  Hommage a Jacques Perrin, WA99

1989  La Bernardine

1989  Magnum

Magnum - 97pts WA

1996  

2006  Chateauneuf du Pape

2000  Chateauneuf du Pape

2001  Reine des Bois

2001  Cuvee Barberini

"The outstanding 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Barberini (a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 20% Mourvedre aged 24 months in 40% small barrels and 60% neutral wood foudres) boasts an inky/ruby/purple color in addition to a big, sweet nose of creme de cassis, melted licorice, graphite, smoke, and truffles. Full-bodied, lush, and expansively flavored, with tremendous purity as well as density, this brilliant 2001 is already starting to strut its stuff." - 93pts WA

2001  Reserve Secrete

Reserve Secrete - "Absolutely prodigious, and unquestionably one of the vintage’s most illustrious wines, is the modern-styled 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape La Reserve Secrete. A blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, aged 75% in small oak casks and 25% in tank, an awesome nose of creme de cassis, graphite, kirsch, licorice, and vanilla soars from the glass of this saturated ruby/purple-colored wine. With extravagant richness, a sumptuous texture, and tremendous opulence as well as purity, this stunning, modern-styled Chateauneuf du Pape retains the soul and typicity of Provence as well as Chateauneuf du Pape. One of the vintage’s greatest wines, it is a brilliant achievement. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020." - 96pts WA

2014  Cotes du Rhone Villages

80% Grenache/20% Syrah. Valreas is a veteran among the array of "named Cotes-du-Rhone Villages" wines. In 1967 the INAO awarded the area this distinction, signifying its production of wines that are unique due to the terroir of the most north-easterly section of the vast Cotes-du-Rhone appellation. The climate here is towards the cooler end of the Mediterranean type, and one of the coolest of the southern Rhone valley. The Alps are a stone's throw away. Its vineyards owe their special distinction to the exposure of the local hillsides, which are north and west-facing and lie at altitude. The predominantly clay soils therefore retain coolness and humidity and are less prone to drought than those which experience the full force of the sun. Another factor which gives the wine its special quality is the stream of cold air descending from the Alpine foothills, which cools the vines. These factors all contribute an elegance to the wine, a sleek quality that is rare in the Southern Rhone, home to full-bodied, fruit-forward wines that can be fairly high in alcohol, thanks to their high Grenache content.

2001  

Like Châteauneuf, Gigondas may be made from any combination of 13 regional grapes but tends to focus primarily on just three: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.