2011 Pegau Cuvee Reservee CdP

Some folks here are very familiar with this wine. This was my first of this vintage for this cuvee and what an amazing wine it was, vastly exceeding my expectations. Excellent savory aromatics of garrigue right away upon pouring, no decanting. After about 45 minutes of air there was excellent fruit, more raspberry than typical cherry/kirsch, then roaring herbal aromatics. Brett/earth could be found if you searched for it but was very subdued. It was like walking into a spice shop but hugely complex. Was completely compelling and as it was consumed over an evening there was an different olfactory explosion each time I brought a glass to my nose. All about the savory non-fruit aromatics with fruit well down on the supporting role credits. 4+ (out of 5).

4 Likes

Not surprise at the good showing. 2011 is not a heralded vintage, but Pegau does not make bad wine, much like Beaucastel, and I am thrilled to have scored 6 bottles of the 2011 Beaucastel via auction for under $60 per. Yum!

The 2018 C.Reservee, not an easy vintage too, is not bad either ā€¦ and available ā€¦

I donā€™t know what ā€œPegauā€ magic is deployed in the cellarā€¦but they are amazingly consistent (and decently priced). It must be in the blending formula.

I do not say this at all to disparage Pegau but many domaines made very good wines in 2011. It is another one of those underrated vintages that was not hot and ripe but produced good wines if the vigneron didnā€™t try to make an overripe wine.

1 Like

Northern Rhone as well. And many so open and aromatic right now. Wish I had bought the 2011 Pegau. Just grabbed some 2015 today. Not only an amazingly consistent estate as noted above, I really do believe it is under priced relative to its competition. I cannot believe how inexpensively the last few years have been, and even this backfill on the 2015, only cost me $58 per. I paid sub-50 for 2018 and 2017.

commercial post: I import Pegau to most of the U.S.

I certainly agree on 2011, I have most of a case left in my basement. I donā€™t really have any left to sell in the warehouse, but for a few cases I bring out for special occasions. A week from Wednesday Iā€™ll be hosting a Pegau dinner at EVO in Portland, Maine. Iā€™ll be pouring the 2018 and 2011 side by side (along with some other Pegau wines, both Chateauneuf and Cotes-du-Rhone), with an older vintage at the end.

I think 2018 will evolve in the same direction as 2011, which is why I am pouring them together. Pegau often excels in vintages that donā€™t get the press. The prices are reasonable and the wines hit their stride at 10 years, ageing easily to 20. Top vintages are not at their best until past 15 years. Besides 2018 and 2011, others in the same general style are 2014, 2006, 2004, 1999 and 1994. Pegau is nothing if not consistent. The wines always reflect the vintage, but they almost always achieve the maximum possible from the fruit. 2016 is a 50 year wine. In the often maligned vintages of 2007 and 2003 they made balanced wines still improving in the bottle.

Dan Kravitz

4 Likes

[worship.gif]

I found the 2011 lighter in color than normal perhaps in body as well, which is not a detriment at all as it perhaps allowed the non-fruit savory nose to really shine. I didnā€™t expect to hear that the 2018 is comparable to the 2011, while I take that as terrific news, as I thought the former was a riper/hotter vintage.

Steve,

Here is my pre-release note on the 2018, sent to my customers in October 2020.

Autumn, 2020 Domaine du Pegau
2018 Cuvee Reservee


This note is normally written after my return from France following the harvest, but due to the pandemic that trip will not happen until the end of the year. My notes are for tastings in 2019, the last in December.

The growing season in 2018 was characterized by great fluctuations, which finally balanced out. 2017 was dry, almost to the point of drought. Heavy rains in the winter of 2017-8 were welcome, but less so as they extended into spring of 2018. Growers fought mildew. Laurence won that battle. Then the weather turned hot, with periods where the vines shut down. Everything came together in September. The torrid August heat relented, the nights were cool, and, crucially, the month was dry. Harvest occurred under optimal sanitary conditions. After the heat, acids were slightly below average, tannins normal and ripe, and alcohol moderate.

At six months the color is saturated black and the aromas muted, the norm for Pegau. At fifteen months the palate is a reflection of the vintage, rich but not mouth-coating. There are already touches of earthiness and garrigue, indications of a mid-weight Pegau. This will be a beautiful, friendly vintage along the lines of 2014, 2011, 2006, 2004 and 1999. This should be drinkable on release, but begin to show that warm, magical secondary character at a relatively young age while the brawnier vintages of 2016, 2015 and 2012 keep their primary intensity.

From this distance, it is difficult to evaluate in detail, but the 2018 Domaine du Pegau ā€˜Cuvee Reserveeā€™ will certainly be similar to the 2011 and may develop as much weight as the 2004, surpassing the 2014 in body and longevity. As always, Laurence Feraud is very much the realist when it comes to pricing. The 2018 Cuvee Reservee is offered at a price comparable to the 2014, making it an extraordinary value.


Dan Kravitz

1 Like

Your notes and insights are very much appreciated. I bought only two bottles of the 2018. Iā€™ll go get some more. Thanks.

thanks for the heads up on this vintage and the note sounds tempting and right up to my liking. Not a fan of the big bombastic Ch9 vintages.
Found an offer of 29,- euros per bottleā€¦tempting temptingā€¦

IMO EUR 29 a bottle for the 2011 is an excellent value, even in Europe. I have none left to sell. In general I agree with your about the ā€œbig bombasticā€ vintages of Chateauneuf. Pegau handles them better than most, but they then need extensive time to be at their best. Itā€™s not a matter of longevity for me. Itā€™s a matter of when they start to show really well. 2011 is there now. 2016, 2015, 2012 and 2010 are not. 2009 is getting there.

Dan Kravitz

1 Like

might pull the trigger this weekendā€¦ I do not have that much experience with Pegau but the thing that stuck to me was that '07, bought at the domaine in '11 I think was a bit underwhelming when opened in 2018ā€¦nice but not mind-blowing. So Dan what you are saying about ā€˜they need extensive timeā€™ might be the reason of that :wink:

Dan, would you care to share your thoughts about decanting Pegau? The 2011 recently opened started really singing about 45 minutes without decant after opening the bottle. Ones like the 2009 and 2010 maybe seemed like they could have benefited from decanting. Iā€™ve never decanted CdP before but am wondering if and when I should. Tonightā€™s 2012 CdP horizontal has me thinkingā€¦ā€¦.

Iā€™m a big and long time fan of Pegau (since I first had it in 1989). But I disagree with Dan in not being sure the 07 will ever fully come around. I base this on my experience with the 95 and the 05. If, after 10-12 years, you canā€™t at least get a sense of what the wine will be, 15-20 wonā€™t be much better. The 95 has become an elegant dowager, but it was always a hard and tannic wine. At 16, the 05 is doing a little better but is in the same mold. It is true that Pegau does not suffer from the flaws of overripeness that plagued many wines in that vintage. And it shares the tannic cloak that other good wines from the vintageā€“Charvin and Ferrand, for instanceā€“have. I could well be wrong and, with Pegau, Danā€™s experience obviously dwarfs mine, but I wouldnā€™t bet on the 07.

1 Like

I had half a dozen 2007s between 2011 and 2020 and they were all between excellent and magnificent. Yes a big fruit year but they all had the complexity that the best of this wine offers. OTOH, Iā€™m probably in the minority on this board in liking 2007s a great deal (boy what a year for CdR). I think they all drank well out of the gate. Cheers

If you mean half a dozen Pegau 07s, then weā€™ll just agree to disagree. If you mean selected other 07s, a lot of people liked the wines, especially when younger. And CdRs, which were meant to be drunk young, did even better for those who liked the style. I donā€™t think Pegau drinks like any of those wines.

Yes, I meant half a dozen 07 Pegaus. To each his ownā€¦.Cheers

Something to think about:
could you name a producer - not only in Chateauneuf-du-Pape or the Rhone Valley, but in whole France or even worldwide -
that delivers a similar high quality, consistency and value for money over the last 3+ decades like Pegau?

Even the Bordeaux 1er Crus or super seconds are not as consistent ā€¦ not Lafite, Latour, Mouton, Las Cases, Ausone, Haut-Brion ā€¦ not talking about price point, and also not to speak about Burgundy with its problematic years ā€¦ (and actual pricing level) ā€¦ nor any other producer in the Rhone Valley ā€¦
Yes, Rayas might be similar exciting, but (now) at 10+ times the price, Bonneau is less consistent and much more expensive ā€¦ and Beaucastel is (for me) not very interesting since 2000 or earlier.
Chave is great ā€¦ (5 times ā‚¬), Guigal (if you like him) with his LaLas at 300-500 ā€¦ but who else?

BTW: also the white CdP at Pegau has improved immensly (and I say that as an Austrian who has an idea of great whites) ā€¦
the regular CdP blanc is fine - and the A Tempo is one of the (2-3) best in the appellation.

Just my 0.02

Jonathan,

We disagree.

A few years back, I posted a note on 35 vintages of Pegau, with the permission and vetting of owner Laurence Feraud.

I rated each vintage on a 1 - 10 scale, with 10 being the best, 1 being the worst. I came close to my goal of having the vintages average 5 (half better, half worse).

I agree with you on both 1995 and 2005. Both were hyped vintages, but I rated the 1995 ā€˜5ā€™, and the 2005 ā€˜4ā€™. And both were angular, hard and tannic (atypical for Pegau). I gave the 2007 a ā€˜9ā€™. Iā€™ve had it at least a dozen outside of professional settings. I simply donā€™t find that it has anything at all in common with 1995 or 2005.

I agree that if at 10 - 12 years itā€™s not showing well, it wonā€™t be much better at 15 - 20. Today the 2009, 2010 and 2016 are really good, but the '09 and '10 will go from wonderful to stunning and majestic with another 10 - 20 years. The 2016 is a 50 year wine. The 2007, IMO, is not far behind.

Dan Kravitz