Domaine du Pegau is a well-respected producer, though it’s much newer than a lot of people would think. The family started producing wine grapes in the mid-1900s, but it mostly sold grapes and a little wine to negociants, and only became what we know in the late 1980s: in 1987, Paul Feraud’s daughter, Laurence, convinced him to start a wine domaine, and the winery was completed in 1989. Today, it’s one of the most respected names in the Southern Rhône.
The company produces a range of regional and VdF wines under the “Chateau du Pegau” label, but the “Domaine” label is reserved for its red and white Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
This ‘Cuvee da Capo’ is Pegau’s top red wine, sitting above the not-so-basic ‘Reserve’ and premium ‘Laurence’ cuvées — it’s only produced in select vintages (only 7 editions this century) and is made of 70% Grenache, 7% Syrah, 3% Mourvèdre, and 20% a blend of the remaining 10 permitted CdP grape varieties. Winemaking is fairly low-intervention, using whole clusters and natural yeasts with spontaneous fermentation. Elevage took place for 2 years in old oak casks.
The 2003 vintage is considered a good, but not all-time great Southern Rhône vintage, though Pegau considered it a great year for its vineyards. This specific bottling comes in at a whopping 16.1% ABV and retails around $400-500 USD. Robert Parker and Wine Cellar Insider rated it a perfect 100 points, while Wine Spectator gave it 99 points, making it the highest-rated ‘Capo’ ever.
**Tasting Notes:** Double-decanted for over an hour before tasting. Deep ruby color. Intense nose of black and red berries, herbs, leather, black pepper, and licorice. Palate is perhaps a bit more shy but still expressive, and I was surprised by how well-balanced it tastes given the high alcohol content. Long finish that almost leaves a sweet taste behind. Impressive and easily one of the top 5 CdPs I’ve ever tasted, but not particularly my style of wine (I tend to go for daintier reds), so I’m having a hard time assessing value.
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Domaine du Pegau is a well-respected producer, though it’s much newer than a lot of people would think. The family started producing wine grapes in the mid-1900s, but it mostly sold grapes and a little wine to negociants, and only became what we know in the late 1980s: in 1987, Paul Feraud’s daughter, Laurence, convinced him to start a wine domaine, and the winery was completed in 1989. Today, it’s one of the most respected names in the Southern Rhône.
The company produces a range of regional and VdF wines under the “Chateau du Pegau” label, but the “Domaine” label is reserved for its red and white Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
This ‘Cuvee da Capo’ is Pegau’s top red wine, sitting above the not-so-basic ‘Reserve’ and premium ‘Laurence’ cuvées — it’s only produced in select vintages (only 7 editions this century) and is made of 70% Grenache, 7% Syrah, 3% Mourvèdre, and 20% a blend of the remaining 10 permitted CdP grape varieties. Winemaking is fairly low-intervention, using whole clusters and natural yeasts with spontaneous fermentation. Elevage took place for 2 years in old oak casks.
The 2003 vintage is considered a good, but not all-time great Southern Rhône vintage, though Pegau considered it a great year for its vineyards. This specific bottling comes in at a whopping 16.1% ABV and retails around $400-500 USD. Robert Parker and Wine Cellar Insider rated it a perfect 100 points, while Wine Spectator gave it 99 points, making it the highest-rated ‘Capo’ ever.
**Tasting Notes:** Double-decanted for over an hour before tasting. Deep ruby color. Intense nose of black and red berries, herbs, leather, black pepper, and licorice. Palate is perhaps a bit more shy but still expressive, and I was surprised by how well-balanced it tastes given the high alcohol content. Long finish that almost leaves a sweet taste behind. Impressive and easily one of the top 5 CdPs I’ve ever tasted, but not particularly my style of wine (I tend to go for daintier reds), so I’m having a hard time assessing value.