2013 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf Reservee

Still not yet bottled, the 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Reservée checks in as a final blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 6% Mourvèdre and the rest other permitted grapes. Always fermented with 100% whole clusters and seeing upwards of 18-24 months in old foudre, it sports an excellent deep ruby color to go with lots of lavender, peppery herbs, black cherries and leather. Medium-bodied, nicely concentrated and forward with ripe tannin, it makes the most of this difficult vintage, but I suspect it is best consumed in its first 10-12 years of life. As classic and old school as it gets, Domaine du Pegau is run by the father/daughter team of Paul and Laurence Feraud. Assistant winemaker Andreas Lenzenwoger, who is responsible for the new special Cuvee A Tempo (a sensational white), is increasingly handling the white program. This team has turned out outstanding wines in both 2013 and 2014. 90-92 points