2013 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Cuvée Réservée, Domaine du Pegau, Rhône

The Feraud family of Domaine du Pegau, including daughter Laurence and the father Paul, are fervent proponents of the most traditional wine-making style of Provence and Rhone. It is widely regarded as one of the leading producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The property in Châteauneuf is made up of eleven separate vineyard parcels spread throughout the Courthézon,La Solitude and Bédarrides sector of the appellation.  The Châteauneuf  red (a small quantity of white is also produced) is a blend of 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah, with the remaining 5% being made up of Mourvèdre, Counoise and other varieties. The grapes are hand harvested and are then fermented without being de-stemmed. The cuvaison lasts for 12-15 days and the wine is then aged for around 18 months in old oak foudres. No fining or filtration is carried out. The Cuvée Laurence is the same wine as the Cuvée Réservée but is kept in wooden cask for another 18-24 months before being bottled. These are rich, robust and concentrated wines, which tend to show at their best with 7-8 years of bottle age. Pegau’s expanding wine production comprises the estate in Chateauneuf du Pape (approximately 47 acres) a vin de pays, a vin de table,  a negociant label (Laurence Feraud, mostly Cotes du Rhones) and a second negociant line-up sold under the moniker Feraud-Brunel, which Laurence oversees along with Andre Brunel. Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo is produced from the appellation’s well-known sector known as La Crau.

The largest and most important appellation in the southern Rhône, with more than 3,200 hectares of vineyards and over 80 growers, Châteauneuf-du-Pape produces more wine than the whole of the northern Rhône combined. The gloriously rich red wines, redolent of the heat and herbs of the south, are enhanced by the complexity which comes from blending several of the 14 permitted grape varieties including Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah.