2006 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee

Now unquestionably regarded as the leading Domaine for traditionally styled, age-worthy Châteauneuf-du-Pape in this large and prestigious appellation. Pegau’s vineyards consist of 11 parcels totalling 19 hectares among Châteauneuf’s best ‘terroirs’ including in ‘La Crau’.

For winemaking the grapes are brought back from the fields as rapidly as possible, lightly crushed and tipped into the vats (there is no de-stemming). The maceration and initial alcoholic fermentation last 15 days before the juice is run off and the must is pressed. The wine is then aged for a minimum of 18 months in old oak ‘foudres’ (large oval barrels), which are assembled together before bottling to obtain the uniform quality of the largest Cuvee called ‘Cuvée Réservée’. This wine is produced from a blend of 85% Grenache, 9% Syrah, 5-6% Mourvedre along with a small amount of Cinsault and Counoise. Near opaque deep crimson dark red colour with dark red mauve hue. Sweet lifted aromas of dark cherry, dark plum, spice, leather and earth – superb aromatics. The palate is full bodied and displays a meaty, leather like texture with flavours of black cherry, dark plum and spice with some leather and earth back palate flavours displaying great palate length. Dry leathery tannins but balanced. Long aftertaste of black cherry, dark plum, spice, blackpepper and leather.
Cellar 5-8 years (2014-2017)
14.0% Alc Other Reviews…
As for the Domaine du Pegau estate wines, the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee was tasted from multiple foudres, and appears to be better than the 2005 and 2004. The 2006 exhibits gamy, meaty, new saddle leather, kirsch liqueur, black currant, pepper, lavender, and spice notes. The wine is full-bodied, rich, deep, and long. One foudre, which may become a Cuvee Laurence, appears to be of the same quality as the Cuvee Reservee, but the Laurence will be bottled much later than the Reservee, which was about to be bottled at the time of my visit in late August.
92-94 points
Robert Parker – The Wine Advocate