Vacqueyras Les Christins White, Famille Perrin

Vacqueyras Les Christins White, Famille Perrin is the house's white in AOC Vacqueyras, a blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc aged eight months on lees.

The vineyard, eight hectares held on a lease in the commune of Sarrians, is planted on old Mindel alluvium, the soils known as Garrigues soils, resting on sand and the yellow sandstone of the Helvetian. Vacqueyras makes little white wine, and this sandy subsoil gives wines that are round but never heavy.

Famille Perrin is based at Château de Beaucastel, in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where the family has worked for several generations. A pioneer of organic and then biodynamic growing, it belongs to Primum Familiae Vini, the circle of the world's leading wine families. Over the years it has extended its work to the other appellations of the southern Rhône, each cuvée coming from identified plots that are vinified separately.

Key facts

• Origin: France, Rhône Valley, Sarrians
• Appellation: AOC Vacqueyras
• Producer: Famille Perrin
• Cuvée: Les Christins
• Grape varieties: Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc
• Terroir: Old Mindel alluvium, Garrigues soils on sand and the yellow sandstone of the Helvetian
• Winemaking: Cold skin maceration at 10 °C, fermentation in a temperature-controlled tank
• Ageing: Eight months on lees, 60 % in stainless steel tank and 40 % in wooden demi-muids
• Colour: White wine
• Bottle size: 75 cl

Tasting notes

• Appearance: Pale yellow, bright and clear
• Nose: Fine aromas of beeswax and ripe pear
• Palate: All roundness, pleasant and supple, with tasty notes of apricot and lime blossom

Serving and cellaring

Serve it at 10 °C, in tasting glasses. The ageing on lees gives it body, so allow three to four years. Keep the bottle lying down, at a steady temperature and away from light.

Food pairings

Poultry in cream, fish in a white sauce, asparagus risotto, mature goat cheeses. Its roundness also lets it hold up with a mild curry or a vegetable gratin.

Read more

Read the story of Famille Perrin, our guide to white wines and their grape varieties and the right serving temperature for a white wine. Find the whole range in our Famille Perrin collection, and the rest of our selection in the Vins collection or among our white wines.

Frequently asked questions

What does cold skin maceration bring?

Before fermentation the juice stays in contact with the skins at a low temperature, here 10 °C. That extracts aromas and a little body without extracting bitterness, because the cold holds back the start of fermentation.

Why age on the lees?

The lees are the yeasts that settle after fermentation. Keeping the wine on them for eight months gives it weight, length and a slightly creamy feel. That is what explains the roundness of this white Vacqueyras.

How is the bottle shipped?

Shipping within France is free on orders over 300 EUR. Every bottle is carefully packed and sent with tracked delivery.