| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Rhône > Southern Rhône > Châteauneuf-du-Pape |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Domaine de Pégau
The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee, still aging in foudres, was tasted from different lots. The most promising wine made here since the 2003, it is a full-bodied effort revealing dense, concentrated fruit, and high tannins that still need to be resolved. It will require some bottle age to round into drinking shape. The color is a dense plum/purple, and the wine shows considerable licorice, lavender, roasted herb, and meat juice characteristics, as well as a texture of beef blood - no doubt attributable to the old vines from which it is made. The fruit dominates, and the wine is intense, rich, and full-bodied. It will undoubtedly need 3-4 years of bottle age after its release, and should last 20-25 years based on the fact that their older vintages (i.e., 1979, 1981, 1983, and 1985) are all still in terrific condition. (Not yet released)
A wine I've probably drunk a case or more of since release, the full-bodied, fat and concentrated 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee is certainly a great wine from this estate. Reminiscent of the 1990 with its voluptuous, sexy and ethereal texture, this still deep ruby colored Chateauneuf du Pape is as Provencal as Provence gets, with killer notes of roasted herbs, soy, beef blood, lavender and garrigue. While this wine was a touch erratic in its youth, recent bottles have been much more consistent and I suspect it's just now starting to enter its long window of prime drinking.
Expressive aromas of black and blue fruits, Asian spices, smoked meat and lavender. Very fresh in the mouth, with lively blackberry and boysenberry flavors, velvety texture and a late note of cracked pepper. The smokiness carries through the long, sweet finish. Component #2: Full purple. More energetic than the first sample, with bright raspberry, cherry and floral aromas. Racy and focused, offering sweet raspberry and strawberry preserve flavors and tangy minerality. Gains weight and a smoky, meaty quality on the broad, sweet finish. The final blend should be exceptional.
The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee, tasted from multiple foudres, stylistically, looks to be a hypothetical blend of the 2003 and 1990. The 2007 is full-bodied and powerful, with high tannins, high extract, and tremendous color, stuffing, and richness. It is like drinking a liquified, rare grilled steak mixed with ground pepper, roasted herbs, and spice. Juicy and pure, it explodes with the aromas of Provence. Dense, rich, more structured than the 2003, sumptuous, and deep (in the style of the 1990), it should evolve for 20-25 years. The inimitable Feraud family, true guardians of the most traditional style of Provence and several Rhone appellations, is increasingly spearheaded by daughter Laurence, but her charismatic father, Paul, is always on the scene, with her mother, running the office. While Pegau's expanding production should be carefully watched, the talent is certainly there. Forgetting the estate wines, there are three levels of quality and price, including a new Tetra Pak in a liter package that is quite good. There are also the Selection Laurence Feraud, a negociant line of wines, and a second negociant line-up sold under the moniker Feraud-Brunel, which Laurence oversees along with Andre Brunel. 2007 is an undeniably great vintage for the Feraud wines.
Beautifully rich and meaty, yet with a structured edge, the 2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée delivers a textbook Pégaü profile with smoked plums, beef blood, roasted garrigue, lavender, and iron like qualities literally souring from the glass. Full bodied and focused on the palate, with edgy underlying structure, thrilling fruit, and a broad, chewy mid-palate and finish, this brilliant Châteauneuf-du-Pape took the better part of the evening to open up, and was even better on the second day. While delicious now, it will be even better in 3-5 years.
Beautifully rich and meaty, yet with a structured edge, the 2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée delivers a textbook Pégaü profile with smoked plums, beef blood, roasted garrigue, lavender, and iron like qualities literally souring from the glass. Full bodied and focused on the palate, with edgy underlying structure, thrilling fruit, and a broad, chewy mid-palate and finish, this brilliant Châteauneuf-du-Pape took the better part of the evening to open up, and was even better on the second day. While delicious now, it will be even better in 3-5 years.
