Pierre Perrin: Beginning with Beaucastel

Any lover of Chateauneuf du Pape will recognise the name Perrin.  The Perrin family have owned one of this region’s oldest and most distinguished estates since 1909, Chateau de Beaucastel.  Though it may have had an illustrious history of producing great wine since the 16th Century, when the ancient vineyards of Beaucastel were taken over by the Perrin family they were all but destroyed.  Phylloxera had recently devastated the land.  Replanting had already started throughout the region with most other producers seizing the opportunity to devote the bulk of their land to the easiest grape to grow and vinify in that area. 

“Before Phylloxera, all thirteen permitted grapes commonly existed in the vineyards of Chateauneuf du Pape,” Pierre Perrin informed me during his most recent visit to Asia in August 2009.  “And after phylloxera people planted the grape that gave good yields and a lot of alcohol: Grenache.  80-85% of Chateauneuf du Pape is now planted with this grape.”

But Pierre’s great grandfather, the first Pierre Perrin of Chateau de Beaucastel, was a scientist from Burgundy with an interest in biodiversity and other ideas.  He chose to replant Chateau de Beaucastel exactly as it was before phylloxera, right down to remaining faithful to all thirteen traditional grapes planted in precisely the same locations.  To this day Beaucastel is one of only a handful of properties in this AC to use all of these grapes in the blend, including seven red cultivars and six white.

Not ones to be satisfied by being unorthodox simply by remaining traditional, there are a few other famous factors that set the Perrins and Beaucastel apart.  For example, the estate owned vineyards (70 ha in Chateauneuf du Pape) are now Ecocert certified organic, though they don’t heavily advertise this aspect.  “I practice organics because I believe in it, not because I want to sell more wine,” Pierre pointed out.  “It’s more in my heart than in my wallet.”

Then there’s this business of flash heating the grapes to 80 degrees C for 1.5 minutes prior to fermentation.  According to Pierre this controversial technique destroys the enzyme polyphenoloxidase, protecting the wine from oxidation and allowing them to use about 1/8th as much sulphur dioxide additions as with a normal red wine.  He claims it also helps them to extract more anthocyanins (colour compounds), which will eventually combine with grape tannins to form stable compounds equating to a wine that will hold its colour better over time.

But of all the departures from de rigueur Chateauneuf du Pape protocol, I think the factor that really sets Beaucastel apart on the nose and palate is its higher addition of Mourvedre in the “backbone” of the blend – around 30% in the Beaucastel rouge label and 60% in the prestige cuvee “Homage a Jacques Perrin” (dedicated to Pierre’s grandfather).  “Mourvedre is a slow ripener and matures at a lower potential alcohol level than Grenache,” commented Pierre.  “With Grenache you have to harvest at a high alcohol level, about 15.5%, or before it is fully mature.”  With the greater proportion of Mourvedre in the blend, a full flavoured yet better balanced and more elegant style is easier to obtain.  The grape can also lend an interesting meaty / animal quality to the wine, which Pierre attributes in part to its sensitivity to reduction.

“Counoise is another of the local grapes that we really like,” Pierre added.  “It ripens the very latest of all the grapes with a low level of potential alcohol and good acidity.  It also lends a nice white pepper character to the wine.”  This grape may be largely snubbed by other producers in the area but the Perrins have recently given it a promotion at Beaucastel, increasing its proportion from 3% to 10% in the final rouge blend.

“All the vineyards are harvested by hand, grape variety by grape variety and vinified separately, then blended in March after the harvest,” Pierre explained.  Both concrete and oak tanks are employed, depending on the sensitivity of the variety to oxidation.  Pierre, his father Jean-Pierre and his uncle Francois are all involved in the blending decisions these days.  The Chateauneuf du Pape rouge is then aged for one year in old foudres.  If at all possible they try not to filter the wine but for some export markets this is not possible.

Pierre’s family believe that there are three phases in the bottle development of Beaucastel:

1. The primary, red berry, fruity / spicy stage early in its life, when the Grenache is taking centre stage.
2. Next the Mourvedre begins to take over and Beaucastel enters an animal / meaty stage.
3. Finally the evolved, tertiary flavours and aromas begin to emerge: truffle, smoked bacon, leather, soy, tobacco, etc.

Here in Asia, Beaucastel and the Perrin name are not exactly unknown.  “My father (Jean-Pierre) has sold Beaucastel to Japan for more than twenty years,” Pierre remarked.  “And we’ve been present in China, Thailand and Singapore for more than twenty-five years.”  Apart from his winemaking responsibilities in France and California, Pierre is also responsible for the sales and marketing of their wines in the Far East.  He tries to devote one week in Asia every two months.  “Our sales aren’t huge in Asia but we believe that education is very important here.”  Currently 15% of Beaucastel’s production goes to Asia – which I estimate is roughly 5-7% more than many other comparable producers.  In Japan the Perrin family has recently set up a distribution company called “Jeroboam” with partners Champagne Pol Roger and Hugel from the Alsace.  The Perrin family’s higher percentage than average of sales to Asia is a reflection of their unquestionable dedication to this region, right down to multi-language brochures and a website available in Japanese and Chinese.  That their unique style of Chateauneuf du Pape also pairs remarkably well with Asian cuisine classics such as Peking Duck, Hairy Crab, Korean BBQ and Yakiniku promises that sales around these parts are destined to get better and better.

Pierre’s August visit to Singapore was actually the second time in four months that I’d met with him.  In May 2009 he came to promote his family’s Californian venture.  But since his family’s story of wine begins with Beaucastel, I thought it best to recant this meeting first.  My next article:  Pierre Perrin: Taking it to Tablas Creek.

The tasting notes to follow are from a mini-vertical of Chateau de Beaucastel’s Chateauneuf du Pape presented by Pierre Perrin and hosted by his importers in Singapore, Taste of Tradition.  The bottle of 2000 vintage came from my own cellar.  At this point I’ll briefly mention brettanomyces, since I know there have been a lot of rumours of the impact of this pernicious microbe on the style of Beaucastel.  I’m well practiced at detecting the distinctive by-products of brett in wines and I didn’t note any glaring brett contributions to the aromas or flavours of these five recent vintages tasted.  There’s a subtle yet important difference between the earthy/meaty/gamey characters that come from grape styling and the sweaty-saddle/band-aid/medicinal characters from brett.  That isn’t to say that I haven’t noticed some brett on previous vintages of this wine, though I’ve not considered it in my notes to be overwhelming nor more prevalent than perhaps one would find on most naturally made red wines.   

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Tasting Notes

2006 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape
94 points
Medium to deep garnet colour.  Pretty perfume of freshly crushed raspberries / blackberries with nuances of wet leaves, cinnamon and white pepper.  The medium to full bodied palate provides a good concentration of juicy berry fruit countered by medium to high acidity and a medium level of velvety tannins.  Wonderfully balanced.  Long finish with notes of white pepper.  13.4% alcohol.  Drink 2010 – 2030.  Tasted August 2009.

2005 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape
93 points
Medium to deep garnet colour.  Aromas of dark cherries, raspberry compote, cardamom, black truffles and a touch of star anise.  The palate is full bodied, richly fruited with medium to high acidity and a medium+ level of grainy, slightly chewy tannins.  Concentrated with a good compliment of structure to hold it up.  Long peppery finish.  Drink 2010 to 2025+.  Tasted August 2009.

2004 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape
91 points
Note that in 2004 there was slightly more Mourvedre than usual in the blend – 35%.
Medium+ garnet colour.  Earthy aromas starting to kick-in with notes of loam, forest floor and tobacco leaf complimenting the red cherry and warm strawberry fruits.  A waft of dried Mediterranean herbs.  Medium to full body.  Medium to high acidity and a medium level of grainy tannins are fleshed out by savoury and spice flavours.  Long finish with a little minerality coming through.  Drink now to 2025+.  Tasted August 2009.

2003 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape
91 points
Medium garnet colour going a little brick in the rim.  Kirsch, gingerbread, leather, raisins and tobacco aromas with some hung meat and game notes.  The palate is very ripe, concentrated and full bodied with a medium+ level of acidity and a low to medium level of silky tannins.  Long finish.  Drink now to 2023.  Tasted August 2009.

2000 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape
94 points
Deep garnet colour with a faint touch of brick in the rim.  Classic Beaucastel earthy/meaty/gamey nose with an undercurrent of stewed strawberries, Chinese dried plums and soy.  Quite elegant on the palate with a medium to full body and a reasonably taut structure of medium to high acidity and a medium level of velvety tannins.  Layer upon layer of spices and savoury flavours.  Long finish.  Drink now to 2024.  Tasted August 2009.