Domaine de Gachon (Pascal Perrier), St Joseph

St Joseph 's Pascal Perrier was well on his way to being recognised as one of the great winemakers of the Northern Rhône when, in 1993, the hillside above his winery collapsed destroying most of his installations. Fortunately, M. Perrier has since recovered and is once again producing world-class wines from his St Joseph holdings.

After numerous failed attempts at making contact by telephone, I visited Pascal Perrier and discovered a great character. Oblivious to the world outside, M. Perrier sets his own pace and will not be hurried. Even his means of transport is a clapped-out old van from which I wondered whether I would return as M. Perrier seemed to concentrate more on hailing his hillside neighbours and lighting numerous Gauloises cigarettes than on the scenic road he had taken me on to his new winery. The potential peril was well worth it to discover such wines.

Purchasers of these wines will see immediately the peasant approach of Pascal. The label of the 1998 (sold out) was a fairly well-disguised 1996 label but the 1999 label is a re-used 1997 with the "7" overwritten with a "9" in ballpoint! Anyone buying these wines who would like to know more about this aspect of Pascal's approach to life will learn some amusing tales!