Wine & Spirits 90
The Perrin family of Chteau Beaucastel in Chteauneuf-du-Pape make this wine at their estate in Ventoux, blending equal parts cinsault and grenache with 20 percent syrah. The 2017, from the driest vintage theyve experienced in 30 years, is firm and crisp, with tangy berry flavors playing over a stony savor that holds the wine long and clean.-W&S

Jean Pierre Perrin established La Vieille Ferme over 35 years ago, when he chose to produce an inexpensive, straightforward Rhne wine to sell by direct mail to French wine lovers. He used the same grape varieties in similar proportions to those planted at the family's Chteau de Beaucastel, in a similar vinification process. The result was an immediate success in France, a wine of character and style in keeping with its Beaucastel heritage.
Initially, Jean Pierre made only Ctes du Rhne, but steeply rising grape prices in 1976 caused him to switch to Ctes du Ventoux and eventually to produce a white wine from the mountainous Ctes du Luberon. La Vieille Ferme was introduced to the United States in 1970. The response was an immediate, overwhelming acceptance and an outpouring of critical acclaim from eminently knowledgeable critics who recognized La Vieille Ferme for its consistently fine quality and value.-Winery Notes