Rock solid and unabashedly old school
Domaine du Pegau Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Réservée
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Region | Rhone |
| Sub-Region | Châteauneuf du Pape |
| Producer | Domaine du Pegau |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Composition | 80% GRENACHE, 6% SYRAH, 4% MOURVÈDRE, 10% OTHER |
| Alcohol | 14% |
| Press | 95 points Jeff Leve, The Wine Insider (2018 vintage) |
| Scores | 95+ |
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WINEMAKER NOTES
Domaine du Pegau is an estate bottler of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, owned by Paul Féraud and his daughter Laurence. Recognized as one of the top estates in Châteauneuf, its wines are considered among the world’s greatest. Though supply is far outweighed by demand, prices remain reasonable for those able to seek out and purchase these wines.
TASTING NOTES
Dark red with purple hues. Nose of ripe red fruits (cherry, raspberry), juniper, pepper, and garrigue, evolving after a few years of aging on aromas of prune, leather, fur, and earthy notes. Round, generous, and powerful on the palate, supported by refined tannins. Aging highlights more spicy and complex notes.
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS
To be consumed during the year following bottling, or to keep from 5 to 20 years. Serve at 16 degrees C, with grilled red meats, a shoulder of lamb with thyme, some curry and tapas, etc.
VINEYARD
Mainly covered with pebbles, clay-limestone mixture with a ferric tendency and sand
VINIFICATION
Manual harvesting, and rigorous trimming. No de-stemming; all the varieties are combined on the belt. Fermented in concrete tanks for 10 days involving crushing, maceration, and alcoholic fermentation without the addition of yeasts and without temperature control. Aged in old oak foudres for 2 years.
PRESS
“Earthy, robust, animalistic, meaty, fruity and fresh, this is already a
delight. The ripe berries are accompanied by layers of herbs, pepper, spice and garrigue. Full-bodied with layers of ripe plums and cherries, the wine is long, fresh and intense, with the ability to age and evolve for years. This is not a vintage that will require years of cellaring. Just a few years will add a lot to the wine. The wine is a blend of 80% Grenache and various other AOC allowed grape varieties. Because no Cuvee da Capo was produced in 2018, those grapes were added to flesh out the Reservee.” – (95 points), Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Now that it has been in bottle a while, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee is looking even better than I projected based on last year’s prebottling sample. It’s all violets, cherries, subtle allspice and clove and traditional garrigue notes of lavender and thyme. Full-bodied and rich, it’s crazy complex, adding hints of tar and black olives on the long, silky finish. It should evolve beautifully over the next two decades.” – 96 points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
“Savory notes of bramble, smoke and leather juxtapose forward plum, cherry and strawberry in this full-bodied wine. It’s a penetrating, mouthfilling sip that lingers on the palate, finishing on soft, furry tannins. Approachable already, this concentrated wine should improve through 2025 and hold further.” – 96 points, Editor’s Choice, Anna Lee C. Iijima, Wine Enthusiast
“Solid, with a muscular core of dark fig, blackberry, raspberry paste flavors mixed liberally with anise, savory, tobacco and singed mesquite notes. Shows a sanguine thread on the finish, where everything knits together. This has ample depth and character. Best from 2020 through 2035. 5,800 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.” — 94 points, JM, Wine Spectator
“Vivid ruby. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes ripe raspberry, cherry and garrigue, while a suave floral element expands with air. Fleshy, seamless and broad on the palate, offering intense black raspberry and fruitcake flavors that are braced and lifted by a spine of juicy acidity. The floral note builds as the wine opens up and carries through the sweet, strikingly long finish, which leaves behind red fruit liqueur and licorice notes.” – (93-95) points, Josh Raynold, Vinous