Domaine du Pegau was the wine of choice for this week's tasting, with a comparison of the 2009, 2011 and the 2014 Cuvee Reservee! . Located in Chateauneuf du Pape, Pegau makes consistently good (and often great) wines every year. 2011 and 2014 were considered down vintages, but that just means that you can pay less for them and enjoy them earlier! . The Cuvee Reservee typically consists of 85% Grenache and 9% Syrah, with Mourvedre and other permitted varietals rounding out the blend. The vines are grown in rocky soils (pic 5). Whole-cluster fermentation is used and the wines are aged for 24 months in large oak vats (see pic 6). These pictures were from my visit to Domaine du Pegau in December of 2014. . Now on to the tasting notes! The 2011 is likely at its peak now, so drink them if you've got them! Bright red fruit, thyme, rosemary, pepper and hints of cedar. A well-rounded wine that was most enjoyable! . The 2014 kept evolving in the glass - even after a 3-hour decant. Initially, there were beautiful floral aromatics to accompany the bright raspberry, cinnamon, tobacco, leather, thyme and rosemary. Later the wine became more savory and brooding and pepper notes supplanted the flowers. Surprisingly, it rallied at the end of the night. . As enjoyable as the 2011 and 2014 were, the 2009 was the standout in this group! Following a 2-hour decant, the funk and meat notes dominated. After 3 more hours, however, the red fruit took center stage accented by more subtle funk, smoked meat, garrigue (rosemary, thyme, lavender), liquorice, and white pepper. The finish was long and complex. An outstanding wine that is in a great place, but there is certainly no rush to drink it. . While it is fun to taste Pegau when young, I typically wait at least 5-7 years to open them. My favorite vintages so far have been 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2015-2016. What is your favorite vintage of Pegau? . . . . #domainedupegau #chateaupegau #chateauneufdupape #chateauneuf #rhonevalley #southernrhone #grenache #winery #vindefrance #cotesdurhone #degustation #winereview #winereviews #tastingnotes #somm #winetasting #wineryvisit #cuvee #cuvée #vigneron (at Joel Pool Lake) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAS-ecmn-0H/?igshid=ffor44ginoqk
