(99+) Easily one of the top wines of the vintage and an utterly profound wine, the just bottled 2009 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin, 70% Mourvèdre and the rest an even split of Grenache, Syrah, and Counoise, aged all in foudre, delivers a brilliant array of pure blackberry, blueberry, meat, truffle, and licorice-like characteristics on the nose. Intense and yet focused at the same time, this shows astounding purity of fruit as well as background complexity. Full-bodied, massively structured and fruited on the palate, the wine is perfectly balanced, possesses a huge, mouth filling texture, amazing focus and precision, and a blockbuster finish. This cuvee is surprisingly accessible in its youth, but doesn’t start to develop its true character until around the age of 20 (the ’89 is still a baby). Gorgeous stuff to say the least.

Shockingly good, the 2009 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage À Jacques Perrin offers an off-the-charts bouquet of Provençal herbs, truffle and wet-dog-like qualities intermixed with classic blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit. Massive and full-bodied on the palate, with a sheer density and decadence that’s hard to believe, this is a pedal-to-the-metal effort that has the fruit to drink beautifully today, yet the concentration, mid-palate, tannin and balance to age for 3-4 decades. Made from a blend of 60% Mourvedre, 20% Syrah and the rest Counoise and Grenache, this is one of the wines of the vintage. - Jeb Dunnuck

Very dense, with Turkish coffee, roasted alder and allspice notes out front, followed by a huge core of Black Mission fig, crushed black currant and black licorice notes. The long finish lets loam and ganache flavors stride through, showing cut and precision. This has serious power and intensity, and should cruise easily in the cellar. Best from 2017 through 2030. 500 cases made.

The 2009 and 2019 are both being offered on the Place de Bordeaux this year and were tasted together showing remarkable ageability and evolution over time. A lovely brick-red colour in the glass, the nose is characteristic and full of personality. Raspberry and soft cherry fruit on the palate, still young and fresh but with a brush of sage and liquorice. This is really delicious, sweet and satisfying. A great food wine with plush tannins and a kick of spice around the edges. Great to drink now.

Always a treat to taste a mature vintage alongside the younger one being released, as a reminder of what this wine can grow into. If this is released alongside (to be determined) it will be in tiny quantities. A raspberry and turmeric sweetness, as the structure of the wine has opened and relaxed with age. Dominated by spices and liquorice root, still full of vivacious freshness with raspberry and bilberry fruits, this takes you right to Châteauneuf-du-Pape with its warming stones, its mixed dried herbs, its heat, power and generosity.