Famille Perrin; Vinsobres and Rasteau

Many of you know of my recent attempt to achieve something few chefs ever do: the certificate of French Wine Scholar. I unfortunately failed this prestigious program by 1%, and so cannot add the post-nominal FWS... not yet!

And so here we find ourselves, you and I, on this my 200th article! I am not only writing for pleasure tonight, but gearing up (once again) for a renewed and vigerous attack on the FWS program in a few weeks. Wish me luck!

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   Famille Perrin is known for a great many accomplishments over their span of 5 generations, but perhaps their greatest achievement would be the Chateau de Beaucastel ( http://astudentofwine.blogspot.ca/2010/05/chateauneauf-du-pape-blend-unto-its-own.html ). I had only just started scribing about wine when first I met this cheeky little rascal, and instantly fell in love.

   Well lucky for me, and my bank account, the Famille Perrin (http://m.familleperrin.com/web ) produce significantly less expensive ventures as well, including a diverse portfolio that runs the length and breadth of the Southern Rhone. Tonight I've chosen two examples; Vinsobres and Rasteau.

   Vinsobres is an AOC situated surrounding the parish by the same name, and is one of the newest AOC in France... receiving it's status in 2006. Previously the region was known by most French more for it's olive trees then it's viticulture. But then, the Perrins have always been forward-thinkers. No, Vinsobres is a steep and rocky place where the Mistral brings it's forceful winds to tormet farmers year-round. Here we find a new breed of winemaker, exploring what Syrah and grenache can do in the most northerly area of the Southern Rhone.

the view in Rasteau

   Rasteau is an AOC with a much older history... the recognition of Rasteau comes at about the same time as it's more famous cousin: ChateauNeuf du Pape in 1934. But the little oddity is that, for the most part, Rasteau was known as much if not more for it's fortified wines as it was for it's still wines. In fact, it was only in 2009 that Rasteau could officially use it's AOC designation for still red wines. Previously they had to be labeled as "Cotes  du Rhone Village Rasteau" which, could be considered by some to be a remark of inferred inferiority. But this area has a very similar soil composition to it's more infamous cousin, and in fact culivates and utilizes all of the same varietals as ChateauNeuf as well. Yes, all 13 red varietals that go into the remarkable Beaucastel can be found right here. For about a quarter the price.

So why then spend $100 Canadian on a new vintage of Beaucastel (minimum) when one can purchase a Rasteau for about $25? Well my friends, just because I said that Rasteau is similar - that doesn't mean that it's the same. But for $25... the value is in the glass!

2009 Famille Perrin Les Cornuds, Vinsobres

$25 CAD    90 Points

*IMPORTER: CHARTON-HOBBS www.Charton-Hobbs.com *

60 Hectares, single vineyard
altitude 300 metres+

50% Syrah, 50% grenache

35% aging in French oak, the rest in foudres

• visual:   clean; fully intense purple/garnet core with the barest whisper of a cherry rim
• nose:   clean; this is a fully intense and youthful wine, shouting to the rafters about it's home! Layers of brambly blackberry, tangy black currants (cassis), a definite dark floral note and hints of spice behind the fruit
• palate:   clean; dry, fully intense (red currant) acids, medium+ chewy tannins, medium body, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), fully intense and youthful flavors that mimick well the nose... fruit is still the driving force in this young and vibrant vintage. Very good structure and balance, medium length
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   a cheeky young wine like this either needs a fat cut of beef to side up to, or else should go back into your winerack for a few years. We'll be savoring the next bottle with Syrah braised boneless Alberta beef shortribs on truffled parsnip and potato mash, steamed Swiss chard on the side

**Further reading for the French speaking audience http://www.vinsobres.fr/ **

 2009 Perrin et Fils, Rasteau-Cotes du Rhone Villages

$20+ CAD    89-90 points

south facing parcel

mostly Grenache (80%) with a slight amount of Syrah

• visual:   clear; deep and medium+ intense garnet core with slightest cherry rim
• nose:   clean; youthful and medium+ intense aromas of warm earth, raisins, red currants, slight savory herbs
• palate:   clean; dry, medium+ red currant acids, medium grippy tannins, medium body, medium+ to full alcohol (13.5% seems hot), medium+ intense and youthful flavors mimicking the nose with emphasis on fresh young red berries and warm earth, background of savory herbs, dark floral and dark cocoa. Very good structure and balance, medium length
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   consider using this like a fresh Malbec from Argentina; this wine wants a fresh grilled premium steak, topped with a hint of Kosher sea salt and nothing else! These acids crave a little beef, but the medium tannins require a fairly sophisticated cut of meat
• conclusion:   much as the above wine, this vintage craves a few more years in a dark and cool corner to cultivate a deeper understanding of itself. Enjoy 2013-2017

    Both of these wines are splendid examples of Southern Rhone valley terroir; that otherworldly mixture of soil, wind, sun and man. Here are value-priced wines that can actually start to educate the consumer on what this part of the valley is capable of. That in and of itself makes the wines an excellent value in the "Under $30" market. But to add the depth and dimension of flavor, the true craftsmanship with which they are made, these wines should be a welcome addition to almost any cellar.

   Anyone can fill their shelves (and their glass) with 90-point wines. Not everyone can do so at prices like this.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

Cotes du Rhone, M. Chapoutier, France

Deep in the southern Rhone, there is a closed in valley with still waters... that place is known as Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. It is from this fountain of still waters that the department of Vaucluse gets its name.

     Vaucluse is one of the many areas that Michel Chapoutier ( http://www.chapoutier.com/ ) uses for the grapes for his generic Cotes-du-Rhone blend (red and white). The Chapoutier family has been vinifying in the Rhone valley since 1808, and in that time, my how they've grown.

    

     From what must have been a one-vineyard winery, Chapoutier has grown to literally dozens of varietals grown in a multitude of AOCs not only in France, but in Portugal and even Australia as well! One never knows where a little grape-juice may take you....

     Well for the Chapoutier family, the wine industry has taken them to this rarefied platform in the wine industry. Not only do the have such a diverse array of wineries, but also a wine and gourmet food school where one can attend such day-lectures as "wine, truffles and the lunch-meal". If school was like that here....



the still waters of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse



     So a rarefied lifestyle, but what kind of wine are the family making with these seemingly limitless resources?? In Michel's own words, their wines are trying to "bring out the specific tastes provided by each local terroir and wine". Well funny, that; it seems like I keep hearing the same thing over and over again by winemakers (vignerons) from every part of the world. New World winemakers, Old World vignerons, traditionalists, experimentalists, small wineries and large conglomerates. The consensus is in folks: allow your land to express itself through the grape!

     And though Chapoutier uses grapes from Drôme,Vaucluse, Gard and Ardèche departments, what kind of a place is this Vaucluse? Tall mountains rising from impossibly steep gorges which run with the clearest water... small towns untouched from the frantic pace of the city; steeped in traditions running back to the time of the Romans. Ruins watching from the hillsides as people below gather their crops from some of the most abundantly fertile valleys in all of France. That, for some, is Vaucluse. And what of their wine?

2006 Belleruche Cotes-du-Rhone

Appellation Cotes-du-Rhone Controlee, France

mainly grenache and syrah

M. (Michel) Chapoutier http://www.chapoutier.com/

14.5% ABV, $19 CAD ( http://www.bcliquorstores.com/ )

   Very Good Value

• visual:   clean; moderately deep garnet core with light cherry rim and the lightest hints of orange
• nose:   clean; fully intense youthful aromas showing development; bright red cherries and raspberries from the grenache, light blackberry from the age, leathery oak, slight iron-like metal and a pronounced peppery finish
• palate:   clean; dry, moderate+to full (red currant) acids, moderate (slightly chewy) tannins, moderate- body, moderate+ ABV, moderately intense and youthful flavors; red currants, red cherry, black currant and black berry, leathery oak, mineral backbone, finish with currants and light pepper. Moderate+ balance. Moderate+ structure. Moderate finish.
• conclusion:   A well made, entry-level expression of the southern Rhone. True, there may not be alot of uniqueness to the flavor, but it certainly tastes and smells like the Rhone. Enjoy this now to 2013, the fresh fruit flavors will start to diminish rapidly after that I imagine.
• PAIRINGS:   Big bold flavors! Grilled red meat with a Provencal stew of tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and fresh herbs. Grilled polenta with Sprintz, or Asiago, or Parmesano-Romano cheese. Even grilled rabbit with aioli would be good (but may not be rich enough to balance the wine). Don't do spicy food because of the alcohol, and stay away from anything too acidic... this wine wants some fat with it.

And so, a great way for someone to get acquainted with the Southern Rhone style. Not terribly flashy, but it certainly delivers for the price!

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

Chateauneauf-du-Pape, a blend unto it's own

My wife loves Chateauneuf-du-Pape. She adores it. We in fact will go to a little restaurant in San Francisco, in the bottom of a hotel, and sit through arguably the worst service in any restaurant in the world - just so we can order their beautiful bottles of Chateauneuf for $30. We suffer for our wine .

Well I had the good fortune to be spending time with family up in Whistler, BC just the other weekend, and my sister-in-law (who also loves a great wine) brought up a special bottle. A very special bottle. I didn't care so much about the occasion after the cork was opened and it had decanted, because Oh My... this was a wine to indulge the senses.

WINE A

clear visual;

• full ruby centre
• pronounced cherry/orange/brickish rim indicating some strong age (10 years would have been my guess)
• moderate++/full- legs indicating high alcohol of 13.5%+ (was 13.5%)

clean nose; full bouquet

• strong leathery oak
• cigar box
• pencil shavings
• deep plum & blackberry
• rich floral (akin to black roses)
• slight mushroomy fungal at the end

clean palate; 0 dryness, full acids, full- tannin, fully intense flavors of

• absolutely all the same things - this smells just like it tastes and vice-versa

moderate++/full- body, full- alcohol (not too much heat - just a wonderful warmth), full structure

Rich, lush fruit are emphasized by the pencil shavinmgs and cigar box tp start.. leadsinto a leathery oakiness that lasts forever on the palate. Red currant to finish. Drink this now for an amazing experience, or (IMHO) you could cellar this for another 5-10 years. Drink this on it's own as a "thinking-wine" or as we did, with prime-rib roast beef, confit of elephant garlic & leeks & white truffle mashed potato.

1999 Chateauneuf-du-Pape by Chateau de Beaucastel

(Pierre Perrin, winemaker) in Courthezon, France

**If anyone offers you this - pay the pretty penny for the experience**

2 oz tasters!

What a joy it is to go to a restaurant or wine bar and be able to order 2oz tasters of wine - thus being able to sample a mulititude without the heavy onus on the wallet (or the liver for that matter).

The wonderful people at JOEY's (Burrard) have such a thing, and it is a marvel to behold. The largest selection of wines in Western Canada (I believe) in their electronic pouring system - if memory serves they have something in the range of 15 to 18 wines by the glass or by the 2 oz taster. Perhaps this means a regular visit to JOEY's?? Oh yes, perhaps so.

WINE A

clear visual;

• deep ruby centre
• slight strawberry rim
• moderately strongs legs (12%+ my guess - 13.5% actual)

clean nose; moderate++ or full- intense notes of

• hot alcohol!
• moderate oaking & leather
• ripe red cherries
• a bit of gaminess to it

clean palate; 0 dryness, moderate- acid, moderate++ to full- tannin, moderately intense flavors of

• chalky gravel
• moderate++ oaking (18 months?)
• baies rouges (those ripe red cherries again and a touch of currant)
• blackberry and saskatoon
• dark chocolate at the end of the palate

moderate++ body, modrate++ alcohol, full palate

This wine had long, chewy tannins with a rich & fully developed flavor. Even with the tannins as big as they were, they didn't get in the way of the crisp red fruit. I say: Enjoy now and buy a few more bottles to open every 6 months - savor the development of an excellent wine.

2007 Barone Ricasoli Chianti (Tuscany, Italy)

WINE B

clean visual;

• moderate garnet centre
• clearly defined moderate strawberry/brick rim
• heavy legs (my guess 13.5%+ - actual was 14.5%)

clean nose; moderate++ intense aromas of

• ripe strawberries and cherries
• light floral scents
• slight tinge of iron (the terroir?)
• hot alcohol again

clean palate; 0 dryness, moderate++ acid, full- tannin, moderately intense flavors of

• all the same as above
• the oaking seems moderate++ (12 months new oak at least I would guess)
• the iron comes through more on the palate

moderate body, moderate alcohol (but it feels hot!), full palate

Why are the acids soooo high?? This wine has a lovely, rich flavor - but I feel like I'm drinking it prematurely. The acids and tannins are still too predominant (IMHO) and overwhelm the fruit - though the terroir still has a chance to show. I would wait another 2 years before I even opened anpother bottle - but with the structure I can imagine this being an incredible wine (later on).

2006 Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape (Rhone, France)

WINE C

clear visual;

• moderate garnet centre
• slight cherry rim
• moderate- legs (my guess was 11-12% but actual was 14%!)

clean nose; moderate- intense aromas of

• black plum
• floral such as lilies or irises
• moderate leathery oak (9 to 12 months I would guess)
• light mushroom

clean palate; 0 dryness, moderate acids, full- tannins, moderately intense flavors of

• baies rouges
• chalky, rough, chewy tannins
• cigar box
• green apple - very intense

moderate body, moderate++ alcohol (but very soft on the mouth), long and developed palate

Once again, (IMHO), the overwhelming tannins really get in the way of the fruit. This of course could be stylistic - or because it's meant to be enjoyed with food rather than on it's own, or it's a touch too young, or any number of things. The bottom line to me was that I didn't want more than 2 oz. 2 oz and I got a great taste of something new - but more than that and my palate would have crashed on itself...

2007 Pesque "Terrases" Cotes-du-Ventoux (Rhone, France)