Winemaker Notes
Spicy aromas of crème de cassis, toasted herbs, pepper and roasted meat on the nose. Big, rich and full-bodied on the palate, with a long, lingering finish.
Excellent with strong cheeses and grilled/roasted meats.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The Cuvée Réservée is Pegau's crown jewel, a profoundly ripe yet deeply nuanced wine made from a Grenache-dominant blend of 13 regional red grape varieties. Vinified entirely in whole bunches and matured in large 2-year-old oak casks, its black plum and cherry are sonorous and piercing, accented by whiffs of black pepper, leather and sage. It drinks beautifully young.
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Decanter
Grown on varied lieux-dits around the appellation on a mix of soils, this was fermented in concrete then aged for 24 months in foudre. All whole bunch, which is evidenced by the pleasantly stemmy aromatics. Very full-bodied and concentrated, savoury despite the oak, with bay leaf and thyme. Very tannic, quite hard on the palate in fact. It's well balanced despite the alcohol, thanks to its concentration and intensity. It's an outlying style due to its darkness, hardness and brooding character. It will be fantastic in time however. But wait.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Don't discount the 2018 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Réservée based on overall perceptions of the vintage; Laurence Feraud claims it reminds her of the 2014, which savvy consumers will know was one of the appellation's standouts that year. Violets and garrigue appear on the nose, joined by cherries and raspberries. In the mouth, it's medium to full-bodied, silky and tannic, but the tannins are ripe and not overly prominent. It may need another year or two to soften but should then drink well for a decade or more. Best after 2023
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Vinous
Aromas of dried rose petals, red and black cherry, exotic spices, iodine, leather and forest floor introduce Pegau's 2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée. It is a pale ruby-colored, full-bodied red which saw two years aging in foudre. Pegau fans will be thrilled to recognize their signature distinctive herbal funkiness. The 2018 doesn't reach the same heights as either the 2020 or 2019, but it is still a solid effort.
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Wine & Spirits
Laurence Féraud blends this from parcels spread throughout Châteauneuf, encompassing myriad terroirs and grape varieties. Fermented with ambient yeasts in whole bunches without temperature control, the 2018 is a wild ride right now: It’s alternately sweet, soft and charming, balancing its dark-cherry fruit with an herbal-floral complexity; it’s also seriously tannic, with a brooding earthiness. It takes several days to even out, suggesting that this is best left several years in the cellar before cracking open for osso buco
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Réservée is a total charmer and already impossible to resist. Lots of red and black fruits, ground pepper, saddle leather, and spicy, floral notes define the nose, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a lush, round mouthfeel, beautiful elegance, and outstanding length. It doesn’t have the concentration or depth of a truly great Pégau, but it’s one heck of a great drink today. Enjoy bottles over the coming 10-15 years or so.
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.