The 2018 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is a proprietary blend from the renowned Chateau de Beaucastel in Southern Rhone, France. This red wine, sealed with a cork and featuring 14.5% alcohol, has garnered significant acclaim from professional reviewers.
Decanter rated this vintage a high 97 points, noting its "powerful and self-contained" nature right from the start. The review highlights the wine's "savoury and mouthwatering" fruit character, with "light flicks of spiced cedar, garrigue, sour cherry, and grilled raspberry." The finish is described as "saline kissed," maintaining grip and extending flavor (Decanter, 8/26/2020).
Jeb Dunnuck also awarded it 97 points, praising its "deep purple hue" and "kaleidoscope-like array" of flavors including blueberries, charred meat, graphite, ground pepper, violets, and garrigue. He describes the wine as having "full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless texture, building tannins, and a magical finish." Dunnuck suggests it will be approachable within 7-8 years but has the structure to age beautifully (jebdunnuck.com, 10/6/2020).
Vinous' Josh Raynolds also gave a 97-point score, highlighting the wine's "inky ruby" color and "deep-pitched red and dark berry liqueur" aromas. He noted its "powerful blueberry, bitter cherry and black raspberry flavors," complemented by "chewing tobacco, floral pastille, and fruitcake notes." Raynolds emphasized the wine's serious persistence and steadily building tannins (Vinous, 10/14/2021).
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated it slightly higher at 99 points, calling the nose "glorious" with complex notes of cherries, raspberries, strawberries, bay leaf, lavender, and thyme. The review commended its full-bodied intensity and firm tannic structure, suggesting it should be aged for at least five years and will drink well for decades (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 12/31/2020).
James Suckling granted it 96 points, describing it as "very spicy" with aromas of grilled meat, blackberry, and blueberry. He noted the wine's "round, dusty tannins" and commented that it finishes tight, suggesting the need for aging (jamessuckling.com, 5/5/2021).
Jeff Leve of TheWineCellarInsider.com awarded it a perfect 100 points, declaring it "the wine of the vintage." Leve praised its "incredibly dark color" and complex aromatics of spices, herbs, wet earth, pepper, and black raspberry. He highlighted its "weight, density, and intensity," as well as its "lush, silky texture" and "seamless finish" (TheWineCellarInsider.com, 12/22/2020).
In summary, the 2018 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is a highly celebrated wine, noted for its complex flavors, full-bodied richness, and aging potential. It is a compelling choice for collectors and connoisseurs alike.