France · Rhône Valley

Famille Perrin

Famille Perrin — the Perrin family of Château Beaucastel — is the most influential dynasty in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and one of the Rhône's greatest estates. The Perrin family acquired Beaucastel in 1909 and pioneered organic farming in the region as early as the 1950s, long before it became fashionable. Beaucastel is unique in Châteauneuf for using all thirteen permitted grape varieties, with Mourvèdre playing an unusually prominent role alongside Grenache. The resulting wine has a structured, animal, earthy character that is immediately recognisable and age-worthy beyond almost any other Châteauneuf. The prestige cuvée Hommage à Jacques Perrin, made only in exceptional years from very old Mourvèdre vines, is one of the region's most collected wines. The family also produces excellent wines under La Vieille Ferme, Clos des Lumières, and Miraval (with Brad Pitt) labels. At auction, Beaucastel commands the highest prices in Châteauneuf-du-Pape after Rayas, with Hommage particularly sought after. The family's conversion to biodynamics in the 2000s further elevated quality, and top vintages — 1989, 1990, 2000, 2007, 2010, 2016, 2020 — are considered among the greatest Rhône wines ever made.