Opaque ruby. Powerful dark berry, cherry cola, incense, potpourri, musky earth and spicecake aromas show outstanding clarity and pick up a smoky mineral nuance with aeration. Sweet and seamless in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated but energetic black raspberry, cherry preserve, five-spice powder and lavender pastille flavors given lift and spine by a core of juicy acidity. Blends richness and finesse with a deft hand and finishes incredibly long and precise, with youthfully firm tannins adding shape and final grip.

Essence of framboise is joined by layers of garrigue-like complexity, rich, meaty notes and a generous dusting of Asian five spice blend in the stunning 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. This is full-bodied but incredibly silky, combining great purity, richness and length into a seamless, elegant package that should give immense pleasure for decades to come.

One of the more supple, sexy vintages I can remember for this cuvée, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin nevertheless has power to spare, offering a beautiful bouquet of blueberries, ground pepper, smoked meat, truffle, and liquid violets. Full-bodied, opulent, and mouthfilling, it starts out relatively tame yet builds on the palate, showing good acidity, plenty of tannins, and a finish that makes you salivate. It’s a brilliant wine that was compared to the 2001 by Marc Perrin.