Photo provided by the Perrin Family
Purchasing a wine from this family is about as close to a guarantee of authenticity and high quality as one can expect” Robert Parker, the Wine Advocate
Château de Beaucastel, one of the most famous in Châteauneuf du Pape, was purchased by the Perrin family back in 1909. Creating cellar worthy wines, Beaucastel is priced out of reach for most wine drinkers running at least $75 a bottle.
If you don’t want to shell out the money for a bottle of Beaucastel, there are some other options to check out what the Perrin family produces.
Tablas Creek
Based in Paso Robles, Tablas Creek is a partnership between the Perrin Family and Robert Haas of Vineyard Brands. The partners chose the 120 acre property in 1989 for the similarity of climate and high pH soils found in the Beaucastel vineyards.
To closely replicate the quality of Chateau Beaucastel, vinifera cuttings were imported in 1990. The USDA mandated a three year process to ensure viruses were not being imported and planting took place in 1994.
New cuttings and clones continue to arrive at Tablas Creek each year so the partners can select the most optimal clone for the site.
Recommended wine: 2008 Tablas Creek Cote de Tablas, retailing for ~$27-30. Grown organically on the estate vineyard. A blend of 42% Grenache, 21% Syrah, 20% Counoise, and 17% Mourvèdre.
Perrin & Fils
In addition to the Beaucastel vineyards, the Perrins own over 1000 acres in the Southern Rhône. Under the Perrin & Fils label, they have focused on applying the same rigorous standards found at Beaucastel when producing wines from these smaller estates.
The Cotes du Rhône line includes wines with exceptional value; all under $30 and most under $20.
Recommended wine: 2009 Perrin et fils Cotes du Rhone Villages Rouge, retailing for ~$13. A blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah.
Other recommended Perrin family wines:
Perrin & Fils Vacqueyras les Christins
Perrin & Fils Vinsobres “Les Cornuds”
Looking for food and wine pairings to try?
Dinner and Wine for $20 or Less features 19 recipes that can be made for $5 or less, paired with 94 affordable wines that all cost $15 or less.
All recipes were developed by Erin Chase of $5 Dinners and are paired with 5 or 6 easy-to-find wines which cost $15 or less per bottle. You’ll find chicken, beef, seafood, and pork recipes here – the VineSleuth has promised me that a vegetarian follow up will come next!
Wine pairings were done by Mary Cressler of Vindulge, Michael Deming of A Cote Restaurant and Mark Hejtmanek of Experience Wine. Until the end of February, the ebook is free when you sign up on VineSleuth – enjoy!
Château Rauzan-Ségla, established in 1661, was designated as a second growth in the famous 1855 classification of Bordeaux.
After a long history of family ownership, the vineyard passed to several owners who invested varying levels in upkeep. The vineyard declined from the 1930s to 1960s, and Chanel bought the Château in 1994 after losing out on a bidding war for first growth Château Latour.
After the purchase, Chanel hired New York architect Peter Marino to restore the 1903 château which can be found at the entrance to the village of Margaux.
Two wines are made here, Château Rauzan-Ségla and Ségla. The Château puts out about 24,000 cases of wine a year, equally split between their two offerings.
Karl Lagerfeld was asked to make the label to mark the 350th anniversary of the Château as well as to celebrate the quality of the 2009 vintage. For $129, this bottle can be yours – Valentine’s Day gift anyone? Certainly cheaper than other Lagerfeld designed products!
What do you think – does a designer label add to the value of this wine?
Follow Me On The Web!
Sponsors
Badges
