2006 Coudoulet de Beaucastel Rouge

The 2006 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet red, a beautiful, delicious, 12,500-case cuvee offering notes of root vegetables interwoven with notions of black cherry jam, licorice, pepper, and Provencal herbs. Deep and medium-bodied, it is ideal for drinking over the next 5-6 years. Beaucastel and its subsidiary wines marketed under the Perrin et Fils moniker are consistently among the bright shining stars of France. I have been visiting this estate for nearly thirty years, and over that time I have seen all the elements of what makes wines great – an incredible respect for the vineyards, a conscientious, uncompromising work ethic, and extraordinary passion for gentle handling of fruit from their sites. Brothers Jean-Pierre and Francois Perrin seem to be gradually inching closer to retirement as their sons take more and more of a front row seat in the running of this outstanding estate. This is a marvelous portfolio of wines, from the extraordinary values, to the top-end world classics. While one could say this is as traditionally run estate as can be found in western Europe, the Perrins are remarkably flexible if they sense that quality can be improved. Quality rises dramatically with the Perrin et Fils cuvees. The Cotes du Rhone Reserve wines are produced primarily from the estate vineyards at Grand Prebois and Vinsobres, with some purchased fruit from such Cotes du Rhone appellations as St.-Gervais. Marc Perrin, who is responsible for winemaking at Perrin et Fils, seems to go from strength to strength with this line of wines, which includes negociant bottlings as well as some from estate vineyards in Vinsobres. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

I tasted a representative pre-assemblage blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, 20% Cinsault last December and was blown away by the value. The wine was due to be bottled in March and released in September 2008. Glowing crimson. Very charming blend with nothing out of place – wonderfully interesting and harmonious – quite a feat! Very, very good. (JR)

Ruby-red. Smoky red berries and cherry on the nose, with complicating tobacco and garrigue notes building with aeration. Powerful bitter cherry and succulent herb flavors possess impressive grip. Finishes with very good length, leaving a strong mineral impression behind. The blend is 30% each of grenache and mourvedre, plus 20% each of syrah and cinsault.