Jaboulet teams up with Perrin of Beaucastel

Nicolas Jaboulet of the renowned Rhone producer is set to release his first wine from a new joint venture with the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel.

This is Jaboulet’s first project since leaving the family firm Maison Paul Jaboulet Aîné earlier this year, which has been owned by the Frey family of Chateau La Lagune in Bordeaux since January 2006.

He had worked as sales director at the company, whose wines include the iconic Hermitage La Chapelle. The only remaining family member in the original firm is now Frederic Jaboulet, France and Export director.

Chateau Beaucastel, owned by the Perrin family, is one of the leading properties in Chateauneuf du Pape.

They have vineyards across the southern Rhone in Vinsobres, Vacqueras, Gigondas, Cairanne and Chateauneuf du Pape.

The new venture will see limited quantity wines released under the ‘Nicolas Jaboulet, Perrin Frères’ label.

They will produce cuvées of 3-12,000 bottles, selected from parcels of vines across the key appellations of the northern Rhone, and then blended and bottled in the Perrin winery in Orange.

Marc Perrin, one of the four Perrin brothers who are working jointly on the project with Jaboulet, told decanter.com, ‘We have been interested in the northern Rhone for a long time, but wanted to keep it separate from our southern Rhone business.’

The first wines will be the 2007 vintage from Hermitage Rouge, Hermitage Blanc, Cote Rotie and Saint Joseph. They will be on the market by mid October in France, and late November in the UK.

Nicolas Jaboulet said, ‘We are starting with just four appellations, but will be extending into Cornas, Saint Joseph and Crozes Hermitage in the next few years. We want eventually a range that is representative of the very best of the northern Rhone.’

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Written by Jane Anson