2021 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvée Réservée

The 2021 Pegau Chateauneuf is a wine that brings us back to when Chateauneuf du Pape showed off its spicy, rustic side versus what we have come to expect these days - big ripe, jammy wines that are commonly over 15% alcohol. 

I welcome these cooler vintages and suggest any fan of the way Chateaueuf du Pape was made 20 years ago consider picking up this marvelous, understated, dare I say, elegant version of Pegau.

The 2021 Pegau is made with 13 varietals but the bulk of the cuvee is comprised of Grenache (80%), Syrah (6%) and mourvedre (4%).  The nose offers a dark cherry, black fruit leaning nose with hints of black pepper and garrigue.  The mouthfeel still offers good density and richness, it's just not as massive as it's been the last couple of years.  

Depending on your angle, the story starts in the 17th century, or the 20th. Apparently the family were local olive and cherry farmers.  Others will say they were winemakers for centuries, boasting family culture deeply rooted in the southern Rhone Valley with its myriad grape varieties and blending traditions. It’s clear the story of heritage is money, but perhaps the real story here is of remarkable women.

Laurence Féraud (pronounced “Fay-row”), an entrepreneurial Tuscan native, came to the Rhone seeking work and began accumulating vineyards. Upon her death, she had also accumulated a husband and two children, Paul and Laurence (a daughter of the same name) as well as 54 hectares. Her husband received a quarter of this land. Meanwhile, young namesake Laurence went off to study business and her brother Paul diverted from producing for other famed wineries, to bottling in 1964. The two had grand aspirations!

With their parents’ help, a seven hectare domain was created in 1987, adopting the name Domaie Pegau and with rave reviews from Robert Parker, Pegau’s well-deserved renown grew rapidly.

Pegau screams Chateauneuf du Pape in all its glory, with each element precisely planned. This is intentional tradition, but with a modernist feminist twist and young Laurence’s finger print all over it. “I wanted to continue in my grandmother's footsteps,” said Laurence in an interview. Having a determined Italian homeschooled winemaker as a mother means imprinting. “I grew up with its aroma, and the smell of the winery. When I was very young she would ask me to taste the wine,” she recalled. Her goal at Pegau was to preserve the distinct family heritage while also expressing the vinous core of her grandmother’s adopted home. “I wanted to make her style, which is a little bit bigger, more powerful and traditional than my father's, which has more fruit aroma and is a bit more wild, more rustic.” This meant using up to 13 local varietals, often fermenting with whole bunches. Laurence wants wines that will last for decades, producing memories.

2021 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvée Réservée will certainly create memories. Buy now to create yours!