2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée

Laurence Feraud explained that the maturity of the grapes was inconsistent in 2022, unlike in 2020. “It bothers me when there is no uniformity in grape maturity,” Feraud emphasized. “The various summer heatwaves halted the ripening process for some berries while others continued to ripen. That's why, on the same vine, there were unripe, ripe as well as overripe berries; there was a bit of everything. And some grapes had been damaged by hail.” This situation necessitated rigorous sorting both at picking and during reception at the winery. Apart from the lack of uniformity, Feraud also pointed to the fragile state of the global fine wine market as a reason not to bottle a Da Capo in 2022. During this tasting, I was deeply impressed by the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée A Tempo, which performed extremely well in both 2021 and 2022. The 2023 Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc Cuvée Lône is another white wine worth seeking out, bottled under the Château Pegau label. As for the reds, the 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée turned out well, albeit not as impressive as I had hoped during my initial tasting last year. That said, it would be foolish to dismiss the 2021, given its elegant appeal. On the other hand, the 2022 is a much more serious, structured and concentrated Cuvée Réservée.

Laurence Féraud greeted me at Domaine Pegau while she was busy selecting label colors for her new Vin de Table, Pegauvino. Domaine de Pegau currently has 24 hectares of vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with three dedicated to white grape varieties. Apart from these holdings, the Pegau family owns 35 hectares in Côtes du Rhône and another 11 outside of these appellations to produce the Plan Pegau, Pin Pegau and the new Pegauvino labels. For her Châteauneuf-du-Pape Sélection Laurence Féraud, she selects and buys finished wines from other producers. This year I tasted two brand new wines from Domaine Pegau: the 2019 Cuvée P.O.L., a name derived from the first letters of Féraud’s father, Paul, her mother, Odette and Laurence herself. It is made with equal proportions of Grenache and Cinsault and aged in used barriques from Guigal’s Château d’Ampuis. To celebrate the arrival of her first grandchild Ella, there will be a Cuvée Ella in 2020, a selection of the finest barrels of the Cuvée Da Capo from the same vintage. The 2019 Cuvée P.O.L. wears a modern and refined dress, while the 2020 Cuvée Ella displays mesmerizing complexity and finesse. Due to their tiny production, obtaining either of those wines will be challenging. Such eccentric Cuvées made by Féraud can taste spectacular, but unfortunately, they aren’t inexpensive. In my opinion, their red Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée delivers the best value: a traditional, complex and spicy offering that can be cellared for up to 25 or more years. And the gap in quality to the pricier special bottlings is usually negligible.