Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Laurence 2018
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Robert
Parker - Vinous
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Winemaker Notes
Garnet color with brick-red glints. Aromas of stone fruits (plums), leather, fur and underbrush. On the palate, cinnamon, pepper, and meat. Ageing provides complex and spicier notes.
Serve with game, stews, truffle and some blue cheeses.
Blend: 80% Grenache, 6% Syrah, 4% Mourvèdre, 10% Other Varieties
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Long-time followers of this exemplary estate know that in years when there is no Cuvée da Capo, Pegau releases a Cuvée Laurence, essentially one foudre of the production held back for extended aging. The 2018 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Laurence is a terrific example of this bottling, boasting an especially rich, velvety texture, ample weight and richness on the palate and knockout aromas and flavors of dried cherries and garrigue. Already approachable, it should drink well for close to two decades.
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Vinous
The 2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence is opulent and sensual, bursting with pungent aromas of raspberry jam, ripe blackberry and black cherry, garrigue, white pepper and crushed rocks. Essentially, this is the same wine as the Cuvée Réservée, but instead of maturing it for two years, Laurence Féraud keeps it locked away for four, leading to more concentration, slightly elevated alcohol and a firmer tannic structure. It concludes with a long-lasting finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, and a classic expression of the cuvée, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Laurence is a longer aged version of the classic Châteauneuf du Pape. It offers a wild array of peppery garrigue, herbes de Provence, saddle leather, and spices in a medium to full-bodied, rich, mouth-filling style. It has plenty of chewy tannins, but I suspect it will shine right out of the gate.
Barrel Sample: 92-94
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Ancestors of father and daughter team Paul and Laurence Féraud farmed olives, cherries and grapes in Chateauneuf-du-Pape dating back to the 17th century. The methods established centuries ago carry on in the current vintages, creating robust, concentrated, traditional red and white wines. For many years the winery was known as Domaine Feraud fils and they made traditional Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
In 1987 Domaine du Pegau was formed as we know it today, when Laurence Feraud returned from her winemaking studies and she teamed up with her father Paul to create the winery. Complementing each other they have conserved the authenticity and quality of their Chateauneuf-du-Pape whilst bringing it to the attention of wine lovers around the world.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.
According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.
Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.
The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.