2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Marc Perrin said that "2017 has a lot in common with 2007, but there’s more energy and freshness" to the wines, which he thinks will reward patience. Of course, Mourvèdre always makes up a great amount of the blend, so age-worthiness is pretty much always a given, even in lighter years (not that there have been many of those lately). Perrin told me that the original cuttings of Mourvèdre came from the Bandol's highly esteemed Domaine Tempier, with the oldest planting dates back to 1909. Those old vines provide the base for the always-astonishing and patience-demanding Hommage à Jacques Perrin bottling, which is typically, as with 2016, made up of at least 75% of the variety. The 1990 version of that wine is simply amazing right now, and it’s still got years left in it.

Marc Perrin mentioned, again, the foresight of his grandfather Jacques in planting the full range of permitted varieties rather than leaning too hard on Grenache in the estate’s vineyards. There are now roughly 100 hectares under vine here, with another 30 that are unplanted. The large amount of Mourvèdre and, increasingly, Counoise in the mix means that the Perrins have largely dodged the perils of recent flowering issues for Grenache that have been plaguing the region for the last few years, so production levels, while off, haven’t been as dismal as at many neighboring estates. Perrin told me that 2016 was a great year for the late-ripening Mourvèdre “because it was such a late harvest, which favors the grape and Syrah as well.” The wines are, predictably, full-throttle and show abundant rich fruit, along with the plenty of Mourvèdre structure that ensures a long aging curve ahead.