DOMAINE PERRIN

Jean-Pierre Perrin says: "We try to place the vine in its universe, that is to say we relate it to the earth, the animal life and the stars by which it is influenced." The tradition continues from father to son at Château de Beaucastel, La Vieille Ferme, Château du Grand Prébois and Domaines Perrin; there is no embellishment, no imitation and no excess. The Perrin belief is that the grapes must have distinctive flavour, and it motivates everything they do -- or do not do -- in the vineyard. As it happens, their methods are entirely natural, producing genuine wines that reflect the character and taste of the Provençal region. The wines are certified organic but not advertised as such, presumably because they believe all wines should be natural. Today's tasting represents only a cross-section of Perrin's output from Châteauneuf du Pape, Orange and the Cote de Ventoux. What it emphasizes, at least when it comes to French producers, is the importance of reputation, since it's likely to follow him or her wherever they make wine. We begin with a pair of wines labelled Grand Prébois from the rather longwinded appellation of Vin de Pays de la Principauté d'Orange bottled especially for Earls Restaurants and sold under its Rascal of the Vineyard label. The blanc is a 50-50 blend of viognier and marsanne, and while they are classic Rhone varietals, these are grown at Orange, just outside the reach of any Rhone appellation. It's a soft, round white with floral fruit and good acidity. White meats would be an appropriate food match. The red Grand Prébois mixes grenache, syrah and mourvèdre with a dash of counoise. The latter is a late-ripening grape offering low yields. It is used sparely in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to add a peppery flavour and acidity. Again, the wine is soft and easy sipping, with earthy fruit and round textures in the finish. The La Vieille Ferme brand, already 25 years old, was launched to offer inexpensive, straightforward Rhônes that could be sold by direct mail to French wine lovers. Initially, only Côtes du Rhône was made, but steeply rising grape prices pushed the Perrins in search of other appellations, which today include Côtes du Ventoux and Côtes du Luberon. With patios opening across the province, I thought the colourful La Vieille Ferme Rosé, with its spicy fruit and anise aromas, and cool fruit flavours, would be an appropriate choice. The fruit mix is 40-50-10 of grenache, cinsault and syrah, all from the Côtes du Ventoux. You'll love the lively fruit flavours (there is no wood aging) and its slightly earthy undertones. Fresh cracked crab would be a delicious match. The Coudoulet de Beaucastel is also a Côtes du Rhône blend, although this time the mix is 30 per cent each of mourvèdre and grenache and 20 per cent each of cinsault and syrah. This is the wine we included a couple of weeks ago in a tasting against our B.C. syrahs. As it did then, the nose smells of wild honey and cooked, almost pruny, fruit. On the palate the flavours are reminiscent of red berry jam. It is a firm red you can drink now or hold on to for another two to five years. The final pair of wines are from the top of the Perrin quality triangle. The Beaucastel blanc represents only 10 per cent of the property's production and is often overlooked in the rush to its famous red cousin. Approximately 30 per cent of the white is aged in new oak, leaving plenty of fruit flavours to titillate the palate. Roussanne makes up 80 per cent of the blend but it is combined with 15 per cent grenache blanc and plus a mixture of clairette, picpoul, picardin and bourboulenc. The mix gives the wine an exotic white-flower nose followed by rich, silky textures on the palate. The Beaucastel Blanc is only available at Earls for $54 a bottle which less than its suggested Canadian retail price. The 1999 Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes in the middle of three highly acclaimed vintages. It's not quite as fat as the enormous '98 or the similarly styled 2000 vintage. Most consumers will love all the black fruit and cassis aromas mixed with leather, roasted sausage and an earthy/mushroom flavour -- all in a toned-down demeanour. Balance and elegance wins out here and it will be more apparent as time passes. This red is one for the cellar and not to be touched before 2008. Like other great Rhone wines it should hold well in the bottle for two decades or more. DOMAINE PERRIN, RHONE VALLEY, FRANCE Producer: Grand Prébois Vin de Pays de la Principauté d'Orange Blanc Price: * Stock No.: Earl's Restaurant Score: 13.5/20 Comments: Soft dry and ready to drink. Producer: Grand Prébois Vin de Pays de la Principauté d'Orange Rouge Price: * Stock No.: Earl's Restaurant Score: 13.5/20 Comments: Warm soft easy sipping red. Producer: La Vieille Ferme 2001 Côtes du Ventoux Rosé Price: $12.95 Stock No.: 559393 Score: 14/20 Comments: Fresh earthy fruit made for summer. Producer: Coudoulet de Beaucastel 1999 Côtes du Rhône Price: $27.00 Stock No.: 614503 Score: 14.5/20 Comments: Soft with ripe prune jam flavours. Producer: Chateau Beaucastel 1999 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Price: $54.00 Stock No.: ** Score: 16.5/20 Comments: Underrated, underappreciated and a bargain. Producer: Chateau Beaucastel 1999 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge Price: $62.00 *** Stock No.: 277988 Score: 17.5/20 Comments: Outstanding red for the wine cellar. * $5.60 glass, $13.99 half litre, $20.49 bottle, Earl's only ** Earl's Restaurant reserve wine list only *** Top specialty stores or private wine shops