Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Reservee 2008
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Domaine du Pegau was created in 1987, when Laurence Féraud, after her wine studies, joined her father Paul Féraud at the estate. Pégau is an old Provençal word for a wine jug found in the excavations of the 14th century Popes Palace in Avignon. Paul always talks about Laurence as "le chef," but he is an experienced winemaker himself. The property has belonged to the family for several generations. Together, father and daughter have made Pegau into one of the best wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. They have 18.5 ha. planted with red varieties and 1 ha. with white grapes. Their 11 parcels are spread around the appellation and each gives a different wine which, after the blending, results in a very distinct wine… a true, classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Only organic methods are used in the vineyards.
80% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 4% Mourvèdre, 1% other varieties. 100% hand picked. Whole cluster. Grapes are sorted, pressed and fermented for 10 to 15 days. Pump overs twice daily (am & pm) for aeration. Aged 18 months in old (up to 70 years!) oak foudres. Bottled in Nov 2010 without filtration.
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Wine Spectator
A dark, lightly chewy style, with roasted mesquite and dark licorice notes leading the way for a powerful core of black Mission fig, blackberry preserve, Turkish coffee and bittersweet cocoa notes. There’s a flash of truffle on the finish. Drink now through 2022.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee was about to be bottled at the time of my visit, and it will certainly be one of the better wines of the vintage. By the standards of Pegau, it is not a massive wine nor will it be terribly long-lived. However, this estate has an incredible track record in off years, so I would not be surprised to see this wine exceeding readers’ expectations in 10-12 years. Tasting through the three remaining lots that will be blended together, I rated them between 89 and 92. That makes it one of the better wines of the vintage. Medium to full-bodied, chewy and very evolved, the wine exhibits lots of earth, lavender and foresty/mossy notes intermixed with kirsch, peppery black currants and Christmas fruitcake spices. It should drink nicely for 10-12+ years. Laurence calls it a very “traditional” style that she believes will be as good as their 2006. Range 89-91
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Ancestors of father and daughter team Paul and Laurence Féraud farmed olives, cherries and grapes in Chateauneuf-du-Pape dating back to the 17th century. The methods established centuries ago carry on in the current vintages, creating robust, concentrated, traditional red and white wines. For many years the winery was known as Domaine Feraud fils and they made traditional Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
In 1987 Domaine du Pegau was formed as we know it today, when Laurence Feraud returned from her winemaking studies and she teamed up with her father Paul to create the winery. Complementing each other they have conserved the authenticity and quality of their Chateauneuf-du-Pape whilst bringing it to the attention of wine lovers around the world.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.
According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.
Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.
The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.