1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence

Laurence Feraud prizes this estate's young 2001s forx000D their classic structure, noting that this vintage will not be drinkablex000D early. At the time of my Novemberx000D visit, she seemed to prefer 2001 to 2000 and 1999, although she told me it wasx000D impossible to make a Da Capo cuvee in 2001. The Pegau wines are throwback, classically made Chateauneuf du Papesx000D with headspinning alcohol levels. Thex000D affable Paul Feraud, Laurence's father, is an oldtimer who is clearly notx000D afraid of volatile acidity levels that would send most of the region'sx000D enologists screaming from his cave. (Dan Kravitz/Hand-Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA; J&R Selections,x000D Mt. Pleasant, MI; Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA)

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)

"I love the old style of Chateauneuf, with some residual sugar and a bit of volatile acidity to carry the aromas," says Paul Feraud, who with his daughter Laurence makes one of the true throwback wines of the appellation. The Ferauds whacked the ball out of the park in '98, picking superripe fruit at precisely the right moment. New in '98 is the super-cuvee Da Capo, which is obviously from the last foudre I tasted a year ago. This larger-than-life wine is about four times the price of the estate basic cuvee at the cellar door, but the roughly 3,000-bottle production will be strictly allocated. (Dan Kravitz/Hand-Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA; J&R Selections, Mt. Pleasant, MI; Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA)