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Hugh shouldn’t have dismissed the southern Rhones…
Freddy Mattson of Vineyard Brands walking us through 2007 Perrins
Freddy Mattson of Vineyard brands opened a presentation of the Perrin wines with a 1983 declamation from Hugh Johnson dismissing southern Rhones and their rusticity and high strength. In 1983 his eminence insisted that common grapes could only make common wines.
On a day with wonderful Grenache/Garnacha from Spain and Australia as well as from the Perrins, Mr. Johnson would have been more embarrassed than the southern Rhone.
Where- or what, is Coudolet anyhow? Coudolet de Beaucastel 2007 is a bargain and a great property of the Perrins on the wrong side of the tracks, in this case, the A-2 from Chateauneuf du Pape. Actually, it was in CdP at the beginning of the century, but planners laid the monster highway smack through the district. That left a chunk of vineyards on the east that big shots excluded from a redrawn Chateauneuf du Pape, and dumped into Cotes du Rhone; that became Coudolet ($29.99). Made of the same terroir and the four major grapes, largely Grenache and a big helping of devlish Mourvedre.
No crying over spilt politics now. We’ll laugh all the way to the wine cellar, tucking away a Coudolet full of black fruit and black candies, better than many CdPs but $50 less for a few kilometers.
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