1997 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Justine

Sitting down with Laurence Féraud is always a pleasure, especially when stellar wines are involved, as was the case during this visit. But first, a bit of news: In 2021, Féraud purchased Domaine Porte Rouge, a small four-hectare winery nestled in the heart of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Féraud’s daughter, Justine Féraud, now oversees the viticulture and winemaking at Domaine Porte, focusing on a low-intervention approach. I had the chance to taste a few barrel samples from this new project—some promising, others less so. Back at Pegau, things started off strong with good to very good 2023 whites and reds. Both the Blanc Cuvée A Tempo and the red Cuvée Réservée show well at this early stage, but the Pegau magic truly came alive when the older vintages began to flow. The elegant 1988 Cuvée Réservée still shines brightly, and the super rare, ravishingly beautiful 1997 Cuvée Justine rendered me speechless. The thrilling 2010 Cuvée Da Capo and the intensely powerful 2010 Cuvée Inspiration left no doubt that Domaine du Pegau belongs at the very top of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape hierarchy.

Paul and Laurence Feraud agree that 2000 produced fatter wines than either '99 or '01, and is thus more to their taste, but Laurence also loves the '99 for its acidity and bright fruit character. "The problem was that this vintage began to be sold at the same time as 2000 Bordeaux futures," she noted. At the end of my tasting, I was able to try a very late '97 release, the Cuvee Justine, named after Laurence's daughter. (Dan Kravitz/Hand-Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA; J&R Selections, Mt. Pleasant, MI; Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA)