Perrin et Fils

From Courthézon to the world: the history of the Famille Perrin

The story begins in 1909, when Pierre Tramier acquired the Château de Beaucastel in Courthézon in the Vaucluse, which had been devastated by phylloxera, and replanted the vineyards. His son-in-law Pierre Perrin took over the estate and laid the foundation for the winemaking dynasty that bears his name today. In the following decades, his son Jacques Perrin elevated the wines to a new level and shaped the house's style so lastingly that one of the most legendary cuvées of the Southern Rhône Valley was named in his honor: the Hommage à Jacques Perrin. Today, the fourth generation, Jean-Pierre and François Perrin, together with seven members of the fifth generation — including Marc, Pierre, Thomas, Cécile, Charles, Matthieu, and César — continue to run the winery. Each generation contributes its own signature without abandoning the shared values.

Beaucastel is the heart of the estate, but it is by no means the only one: over the decades, the family has acquired vineyards in Gigondas, Vinsobres, Ventoux, and other appellations of the Southern Rhône Valley and has built the Perrin et Fils label as an independent brand for the entire spectrum of these terroirs.

Biodynamics since 1974: pioneering work instead of a fashion trend

What is on everyone's lips today has been practiced by the Perrins for generations. As early as 1950, they converted their vineyards to organic farming — decades before the topic became relevant in the industry. 1974 saw the conversion to biodynamics at Beaucastel: lunar calendars, natural preparations, and a consistent avoidance of synthetic inputs. The goal was and is to understand the soil as a living system in which fauna, flora, and the rhythm of the seasons determine the health of the vine.

In the vineyard, this means daily manual labor: canopy management, low yields, and careful hand-harvesting. The soils at Beaucastel — Miocene molasse covered by alpine alluvium and the large pebbles typical of Châteauneuf-du-Pape — store heat during the day and release it evenly at night. The Mistral keeps the grapes healthy and reduces the use of copper and sulfur to a minimum. In the cellar, this care is followed by consistent restraint: the terroir should speak, not the technology.

All 13 grape varieties, one unmistakable style

What distinguishes Beaucastel from its neighbors is the exceptionally high proportion of Mourvèdre in the red cuvées. While most Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers rely on Grenache, Mourvèdre gives the Perrins' wines structure, spice, and an aging potential that can extend well over a decade. All 13 grape varieties permitted in the appellation grow at Beaucastel — the family's blending approach is a craft credo. For the white wines, Roussanne dominates, providing density and aging ability that is unparalleled in the region.

The range spans a wide arc: from the accessible La Vieille Ferme in rosé and red to the great Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Beaucastel, from the fresh Côtes du Rhône Réserve to the powerful Gigondas La Gille. This arc is not a contradiction, but the result of a consistent interpretation of different terroirs by the same winemaking family — in the fifth generation, with the same values as in 1909.