1999 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee

From a vintage that flies under the radar, the 1999 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reserve is a beauty that’s drinking at point today. Pepper, garrigue, saddle leather and spice all show here. This is a textbook Pegau to drink over the coming 4-5 years. Created in 1987 (although there were some earlier bottling released) Domaine du Pegau is run today by the father/daughter team of Paul and Laurence Feraud. When setting up this retrospective, I was shocked when Laurence Feraud told me she had never done a vertical tasting like this. While I know they drink their older cuvees often, I think the idea of opening so many wines for one tasting could be seen as wasteful, and in reality, it is. However, it’s also incredibly educational, and as Laurence commented, shows the story of the domaine. I was thrilled to take part in this tasting, which also included Laurence’s parents, Paul and Odette. Importers: Dan Kravitz, Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA; tel. (540) 347-9400

From a vintage that flies under the radar, the 1999 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reserve is a beauty that’s drinking at point today. Pepper, garrigue, saddle leather and spice all show here. This is a textbook Pegau to drink over the coming 4-5 years. Aug 2014, www.robertparker.com