The Queen of the House of Popes
2009 Domaine du Pegau
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée
New Release Contains Cuvée de Capo Juice!
It's worth starting with this small, but important fact: The 2009 Cuvée Réservée contains the juice that would normally go into the blockbuster Cuvée de Capo.
And the Cuvée de Capo is one of the Rhône's greatest reds - it has only been released four times (1998, 2000, 2003 and 2007) and every time it's been judged numerically perfect.
Now - we are not fond of scores, we never quote them in our emails, but this particular historical fact about the Capo alludes to the fact that this is serious, serious wine... it also suggests that this little addition to the 2009 Cuvée de Réservée is important.
And it is.
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The 2009 Réservée is a full-throttle Rhône red with just stunning concentration. This is a wine that explodes with the flower-and-herbs-and-spice combination that makes Châteauneuf so special, so unique. It is a fleshy, curvaceous wine, with a distinctly feminine feel to it. Don't get us wrong - this is not the Chambolle-Musigny of the Rhône, but it does have a striking suppleness (more so than the bruising 2007) and tremendous balance.
This is a tremendous deal - especially in this great vintage with this great raw material.
Yes, there’s a lot of hype around the Rhône right now; this is a region that’s had blockbuster vintage after blockbuster vintage, with only 2002 and 2008 proving to be troublesome. 2007, of course, remains the vintage of the decade, which is not a bad thing in regard to today's offer.
Here's why: First, this attention keeps the pressure on the 2007 pricing. Second, it relieves pressure on the 2009 pricing. In other words, there are values to be had in this vintage.
Ms. Laurence Feraud of Pegau is indisputably the Queen of Châteauneuf - this is one of the elite estates of the Rhône. Feraud established Pegau (its name refers to a wine jug found in the 14th century Pope’s palace) in 1987 with her father; prior, it was Domaine Feraud Fils. They work with 11 different vineyards in the region, 18.5 hectares of which are red Châteauneuf AOC, including some very serious sites in La Crau. Plots are blended together at fermentation, aged in oak barrels for 18 months, then re-blended to create the final cuvée... an instinctive talent that mirrors both Chave's magical works in Hermitage, to say nothing of the blending done in Champagne. The wines are not fined or filtered.
Pegau's Chateauneufs are benchmarks of the region, consistently among our favorites. They age superbly and if the 2009s are fleshy and so seductive right now (and they are), they will age easily for the next decade and more.
Today’s pricing lasts only as long as this parcel, and we have a history of quickly selling out each vintage of Pegau that we offer. To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée
Wine Advocate: "The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee has not yet been bottled, but Paul and Laurence Feraud allowed me to taste all the major lots, and I rated all of them between 92 and 95 points. It is another big wine, but there will not be any Capo produced in 2009 according to Laurence. The regular 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape is a peppery, spicy effort with lots of unctuosity, elevated alcohol and firm tannins which Paul believes will soften with the long aging in foudre this wine sees. Big and beefy, it appears to be a better balanced, richer version of their 2005 Cuvee Reservee."
NET | No further discount