| 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 bottled 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee is as compelling as I thought it would be after tasting it last year. A blend of 85% Grenache with the rest Syrah, Mourvedre and small dollops of the other authorized varietals, this wine tends to come from the estate's holdings in the eastern sector of Chateauneuf du Pape. The opaque purple-colored 2009 exhibits magnificent, rich berry fruit intertwined with cedar, Christmas fruitcake, licorice, charcuterie, roasted meats, smoked duck, kirsch, blackberries and god knows what else. It is an amazingly complex, rich, full-throttle wine that reminds me somewhat of what the 1990 tasted like in 1994/1995. It is a magnificent Chateauneuf du Pape. If you are looking for the garrigue component, it's also there.
Opaque ruby. Powerful yet refined aromas of dark berries and minerals, complicated by smoke and floral nuances. Then supple, suave and focused, with sexy inner-mouth perfume, sweet dark fruit flavors and a pliant texture. Repeats the floral note strongly on the smooth, expansive and very long finish.
Under the estate Domaine du Pegau label, the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee is spending a longer time in barrel and foudre than usual. Consequently, I tasted through three separate foudres, all of which looked spectacular. The final blend will probably be about 80% Grenache, 14% Syrah, 4% Mourvedre and 2% other varietals. The color is a dense black/ruby (one of the more opaque 2009s I saw), and the powerful nose offers up aromas of licorice, smoked herbs, charcuterie, bouquet garni, roasted meats, Peking duck, kirsch, blackberries and cassis. An enormous success, this cuvee has come on like gang busters since I tasted it last year, and may eclipse the stunning 2007. Given its tannin profile, the 2009 will require 5-6 years of cellaring and should keep for 30-35 years. Could this be a modern day version of Pegau's compelling 1989 Cuvee Reservee?
The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee has not yet been bottled, but Paul and Laurence Feraud allowed me to taste all the major lots, and I rated all of them between 92 and 95 points. It is another big wine, but there will not be any Capo produced in 2009 according to Laurence. The regular 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape is a peppery, spicy effort with lots of unctuosity, elevated alcohol and firm tannins which Paul believes will soften with the long aging in foudre this wine sees. Big and beefy, it appears to be a better balanced, richer version of their 2005 Cuvee Reservee.
