Hommage a Jacques Perrin (and what an Hommage it was!)
Vaucluse (short trip to Aldo Sohm to finish the night)
Tasted Tuesday, April 19, 2016 by MC2 Wines with 846 views
Introduction
Our first but certainly not our last 'Acker Wine Experience' this was just amazing. David pulled together 14 magnums of the Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin - every vintage from 1989 to 2010. This was one of those times where the world just pulled things together a bit. We'd tried the 2000 and really loved it and were searching more out and building up the collection and lo and behold a friend from Napa mentions this event to try the whole kit and kaboodle of them. While not generally a believer in 'school night' wine excursions, this seemed just too good to pass up. And I am very glad we didn't. It was spectacular. There wasn't a wine on the table that couldn't have won WOTN in just slightly different company (aka, not among its brothers). The food was up to the challenge and some of the pairings were quite spectacular.
You may notice there's a lot of language of the 'wonderful, fantastic, spectacular' type. It was just that kindof dinner and when I could find a synonym I did, but I ran out of words before the wine ran out so there's some repetition in here too.
Flight 1 - Flight 1: The babies (2 Notes)
Serve with
TERRINE DE FOIE GRAS ET PINTADE
guinea hen and foie gras terrine, sauternes, sourdough
If we had been served nothing else the rest of the night these wines were both excellent (esp the '09 in current form) and we'd have been happy sipping these through the evening. The '09 was ready and open for business but with a great opportunity to age further. The 2010 was more recalcitrant and even when I went back later in the evening still wasn't quite strutting its stuff in the same way. Has the right components though and both very nice wines.
Flight 2 - Flight 2: The kids (3 Notes)
Served with:
EPAULETTES
rabbit and reblochon cheese ravioli, black truffle
Anyone who knows Michael White knows he can do pasta and this was no different. Perhaps my favorite dish of the evening. Certainly a spectacular one to have next to these wines.
Which as it turns out were pretty good. The '07 was a bit too much for me, but I'm optimistic there's mellowing potential. The '04 was just really lovely and my favorite of the flight although the '05 was no slouch.
Flight 3 - Flight 3: The Early Teens (3 Notes)
Served with:
CANARD A L'ORANGE
roasted rohan duck, orange
Duck was excellent, super crackly skin which I love. A lovely pairing for Rhone wines.
This was my second favorite flight of the group and given that it's ranked only behind the flight with the '89 and '90 that is saying something. The '00 which was my introduction to this wine and the '01 both still really spoke to me (again for different reasons, they're very different wines). I'd have a hard time picking between them. The '03 was a bit like the '07. Just not quite in the right spot yet, but I'm hopeful it will settle with some time.
Flight 4 - Flight 4: The Late Teens (3 Notes)
Served with:
EPAULE D'AGNEAU
roasted lamb shoulder, la ratte potatoes, bitter greens
Wow was that lamb good. Apparently part of the secret is rubbing it down with anchovies the night before. Created a great briney-ness to the meat. Delicious. Also the only greens we really saw all evening :-)
Another excellent flight of wines. The '95 in particular was showing itself very well and had me intrigued. The '98 was like going to a concert that gets super hyped (think Bruce Springsteen) and getting their 'B' performance - you just know that they can do better. And so it will have a chance on another day.
Flight 5 - Flight 5: The Grown-ups (3 Notes)
Served with:
ENTRECOTE
prime aged ribeye, sauce au poivre & fries
First of all those fries were just magical and I'd be surprised if there were any left despite having just been through three meat courses. Spectacular.
Also - this was the best flight of the night from a wine perspective which is saying something. The '89 and '90 were in an all out battle for WOTN and the '94 was holding it's own. Really spectacular.
Flight 6 - Bonus bottle: Aldo Sohm late night trip (1 Note)
To finish the evening we dropped by the Aldo Sohm wine bar. I've been lucky enough to have gone in the past, but never with a group of wine folks and so have always been relegated to their by the glass selections. This night we capped the evening with an '86 Haut Brion that was fresh and wonderful and a nice comparison to the wines we'd had earlier in the night (all of which I think are still in this wine's league).
Closing
Lovely evening with an old friend and meeting some new folks and wine that is just so special. Mouvedre dominated is a favorite of mine to begin with and this is probably the best version of it I've ever known. The structure they get in these wines and the balance of flavors. It's a real treat. This event just convinces me that we're on the right path building out the vertical.
As for WOTN, I can't pick. The '89... the '90? One day one of the others might surpass those, but it wasn't last night.
And so - fabulous, spectacular, wonderful, fantastic, delicious, brilliant.... wines and food and whole experience was all of the above. An evening not soon forgotten and often remembered fondly.
2010 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Well structured wine, but oh so young. Tannins are prevalent, but not overwhelming. It's a bit quiet - the secondary and tertiary sides of it are shut down. Mostly just stems and bark. The table was split between this and the '09 although most of us agree this is a longer term wine in a shut down spot while the '09 was open and ready for business.
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2009 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Drank alongside the '10 and while that was very closed down, this was open and ready for business. Very soft, almost velvet wine. Really nice wine, expressive, black fruits, hints of lavender. Much more approachable. Still a wine that can age for a long time though. I was in the camp of this is what I'd drink today (as compared to the '10), but the '10 might be what I'll want in more years.
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