PSA - 2004 Pegau is Drinking Really Well at the Moment

Like many, my tastes have changed over the years. I don’t drink a ton of CdP anymore but it was a dreary, rainy, day, and I grilled a bunch of steaks and veggies and wanted something on the heavy side. Despite my palate shift to more subtle wines, this really hit the spot and I wouldn’t mind having a case in the cellar.

So many good notes from tasters I know on this wine and it doesn’t disappoint. This is everything I love about CDP. It’s rich, meaty, brambly, and darkly fruited with the amplitude turned up to 11. All this without being over the top as the wine maintains perfect balance. Oh, and it’s a clean bottle to boot. No brett. Woo Hoo. I can’t see this one getting any better and will drink my last bottle if i run into it. Super tasty.

Agreed, had it recently, it’s great.

Agree - I had it some months ago from a half … really nice now.

BUT I warn to drink all your stock now and over the next 1-2 years.
The 2004 is not dissimilar to the 1994 - which is even better now than 10 years ago - one might regret it in a decade having none in the cellar anymore …

Thanks for the data point. I have already opened a few of my 2004 Pegau and haven’t had a bad bottle yet. In my experience so far (3 bottles total) it has been showing clean and been very approachable for a number of years now. It really was a great purchase offering a wide drinking window for a fair price.

2004 Pegau has been drinking well pretty much since release. Here is a tasting note of mine from 2009:

“This is a great young Rhone. Wonderful barnyard on the nose, strawberry and cherry on the palate (but not a fruit bomb). Very long finish of plum and smoke. This wine is always a crowd pleaser and a bargain relative to other vintages.”

Unfortunately for me, I am becoming much more sensitive to brett, so what may have been wonderful barnyard back then, might be stinky horse manure now.

My bottle was quite clean. You should give if a shot if you have any left. If you don’t want it, I’ll buy it.

Not 2004, but I had a '98 Cuvée Laurence last night that was spectacular, and absolutely no brett, that I could detect. I was shocked in a good way. It was my wine of the night at a Rhone-themed dinner with 16 other wines.

Always love the wine, but dread the inconsistency. Glad you had a good one Dave

I think I have one bottle remaining.

Apologies for the slight thread drift. I haven’t opened an '04 Pegau in a while, but that vintage has been consistently great since release. It’s never shut down. I just noticed on cellartracker that I’ve drunk 14 of my 18 bottles!!!
Here’s the drift; I opened a beautiful '04 Charvin the other day.

David,

It is because of the clean bottles, like that one that you had, that I keep drinking this. I know how good those can be.

That´s not enough!

So only 4 bottles for the next 10-12 years … … hard time!
(I think I said it already once or twice: “You can´t have enough Pegaü!” © Gerhard P. )

Love this vintage. For my tastes, I don’t feel any rush to consume the rest of my stock. Just wish I’d bought more.

I loved this vintage when it was young and went deep - so I am shocked to see now that I have virtually nothing left

3 magnums and a double-magnum. I was pretty sure I had another case somewhere, but according to Cellartracker - not really. Having said that I am lazy in putting this into CT and “consuming” them when I drink them, so there is still hope.

Gerhard, 2004 was always touted as an early-drinking vintage by critics (which often implies less aging potential), are you really so confident about the long-term aging ? My cellar is cold, but another 10-15 years ?

Many thanks
Christian

Christian,
I have tasted and bought close to all vintages and cuvées made by Pegau from 1981 to 2014 (except 1982 and 1984, if they ever have been produced), still have most in my cellar (which is also cool BTW, 8°-12° c) - and I have never seen a vintage falling apart … 1994 is still strong and a joy to drink, even 1992 is delicious, I would only drink up 1993 soon and 1996 over the next years … only the disastrous vintages of 1991 and 2002 should have been consumed … ) - so absolutely no doubt that 2004 will improve (or at keast keep and change, how you prefer it) over the next 12-15 years.

“Early drinking vintage” by critics means “can be also enjoyed on the younger side” … this is no limitation on the other end … and I somewhat doubt if these critics have tasted many really aged bottles of CdP ( I have - many different, back to the 40ies … rarely ever has one been too old).

(for the consumers across the ocean: I´m talking about pristine bottles shipped and stored properly and always cool … no idea what is with bts. catching warmth through shipment … and maybe developing brett etc.)

My experience with Pegau only goes back to 89, but I’ve never had one that was over the hill (I have no long term experience with 91 and 02 as I never thought those wines were for the long hall). 94 was, not just for Pegau, one of the most underrated CdP vintages in my memory and as Gerhard says, 04 is a lot like it. It’s hard to keep my hands off my Charvins and Pegaus from these years, but I have little doubt that they will arrive at age 20 without even being out of breath.

I recently had a bottle of 1995 Pegau Cuvée Laurence, it was absolutely wonderful and in no hurry to be drunk, will not improve but still 95- 96pts. Unfortunately, I only have one bottle left of that vintage Cuvée Laurence, wish I had another case. 2004’s are drinking very well, long life ahead of them, no rush.