2007 Gigondas Vieilles Vignes

A magnificent achievement, the 2007 Gigondas Vieilles Vignes is a tiny cuvee made from pre-phylloxera, 125+-year-old vines planted in 3/4 of a hectare (about 1.5 acres). If you are lucky enough to find a bottle of this 100% Grenache, it is truly remarkable. It stands out not only for its extraordinary elegance, purity, and incredibly sweet kirsch, raspberry, and mineral notes, but also for its immense palate penetration and aromatic persistence and length. This gorgeous, potentially prodigious Gigondas should evolve for 15 or more years. One of the great estates of the Rhone Valley, Chateau Beaucastel has been run by several generations of the Perrin family, beginning with the late Jacques Perrin (who died in 1978), then the brothers Jean-Pierre and Francois, and now their sons Thomas, Marc, Pierre, and Mathieu. Beaucastel has nearly 200 acres in vine in Chateauneuf du Pape, and they have branched out with an impressive operation under the Perrin et Fils label, purchasing grapes and acquiring land (in Vinsobres and Gigondas, for example). Their goal is to become the most recognized name for high quality wines in the southern Rhone. As shrewd consumers know, one of the best values in under $10 a bottle wine is La Vieille Ferme. The Perrin et Fils cuvees include wines made from purchased grapes as well as their new acquisitions in Vinsobres, Gigondas (25 acres), and the Cotes du Rhone village of Cairanne (35 acres). The Perrins enjoyed tremendous success with their 2008 red wines, largely because yields ranged between 18 hectoliters per hectare for Beaucastel, to only 20 hectoliters per hectare for Coudoulet. The mildew that affected everyone was the culprit. The entire family acknowledged there was an extraordinary triage and culling out of the grapes at the sorting tables. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

Bright red. Seductively perfumed aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry, garrigue, rose and minerals. Lively red berry and tangy mineral flavors show impressive clarity; finishes with terrific nerve and persistence. This one-hectare vineyard, planted on sand, is at least 120 years old, according to Marc Perrin.