Domaine du Pegau Luncheon at Aureole in NYC

Aureole, NYC
Tasted Thursday, October 27, 2005 by Ben Andersen with 1,077 views

Introduction

THANK YOU to Dan Kravitz for his generosity in organizing such a great charity event and providing the wines from his own cellar; to Mark and Laurence for donating their time (as well as a special bottle); and to my fellow attendees for your contributions to the conversation. I certainly learned a great deal, and I look forward to future bottles of Pegau being that much more enjoyable with memories of this lunch in my mind...

THE SCENE: A group of like-minded Pegau fanatics came together for an unforgettable lunch on Thursday at Aureole restaurant in Manhattan.

THE CAUSE: Second Harvest, bringing meals to homeless and displaced throughout the country.

THE FOOD: I though Aureole knocked it out of the park, with a terrific meal, including one of the best beef dishes I have ever had which complimented the wines perfecty. The servers and wine director made us feel like we were the only table in the restaurant. Bravo!

THE WINES...

Flight 1 - The '98s (unfortunately, the '98 Cuvee Laurence was corked) (2 Notes)

  • 1998 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Tasted side by side with the '98 Cuvee Reservee (see TN). These two wines offer very different expressions of Chateauneuf-du-Pape - a testament to Laurence's versatility as a winemaker. The Capo has cooler, darker fruit than the Reservee, with a floral (rose petal?) note; still quite primary, actually. A rather suave texture, strikingly different from the more rustic '98 Reservee. Overall, you get the impression that this wine is aging at a glacial pace. Note: I tasted the '98 Capo back in the Spring of 2001 from a bottle that had been open for days and showed very little oxidation or other signs of falling apart with extended air exposure... which is always a good sign for longevity... It's interesting to consider that back in 1999 or 2000, I might have agreed with folks that said this wine was a bit over the top, but there have been so many superconcentrated, essence-of-Grenache-type cuvees that have come out from '98 on, that, comparatively, this wine today does not seem over the top to me at all. In fact, as blockbuster cuvees go, this seems rather elegant and refined to me, despite its high alcohol, which was balanced out by ample fruit, IMO.

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  • 1998 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    No formal note. Tasted side by side with the '98 Capo (see TN), the two wines offered very different expressions of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The '98 Reservee showed quite well, though it is certainly a few years away from really starting to crack open. Due to its youth, texturally it is a bit rustic and rough around the edges, but that element will come together given more time in the bottle. Gutsy, honest wine. Actually, it was not as closed as I was expecting. Well structured, with more secondary components entering the picture than I recall from my last bottle about a year ago (see TN). The fruit leans more to red than black, and there is certainly some of the typical '98 heat. A very impressive wine with a bright future ahead of it.

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Flight 2 - Pegau at various stages of maturity... (4 Notes)

  • 1995 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    No formal note. I have had the '95 Cuvee Laurence perhaps four or five times now, but not in the last few years. Tasted side by side with the '94, '90 and '83 Cuvee Reservee (see TNs), right now the '95 Laurence is by far the most structured and tight of the four, as you might expect. Darker fruit, garrigue; fairly substantial tannins. Certainly enjoyable, but it probably needs 5+ years to really start to show its true potential. Waiting will do it more justice.

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  • 1994 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    No formal note. Tasted side by side with the '90 and '83 Cuvee Reservee and '95 Cuvee Laurence (see TNs). I have had the '94 about seven or eight times now, most recently a couple months ago (see TN). The '94 is well into what I would consider its middle age and is showing quite well these days; that said, I think it will continue to unravel a few extra layers and gain texturally over the next two or three years. Tasting it next to the '90 and '83 made me even more confident that the best has yet to come for the '94. The fruit profile was more red than the darker-fruited '95, with typical Pegau game and underbrush drifting in. Very nice, but I think I'll wait at least two years to open my next bottle of the '94...

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  • 1990 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    No formal note. Tasted side by side with the '83 and '94 Cuvee Reservee and '95 Cuvee Laurence (see TNs). The color of the '90 was actually more advanced than the color of the '83, which was the only wine in the line up that was served blind. The '90 is really starting to crack open and reveal that extra dimension that only time in the bottle can bring forth. Beautiful, penetrating aromatics that speak of place, quality and maturity. It was interesting to hear Dan Kravitz's comment that the '90 was no "better" than so many younger vintages - you just need to keep you hands off the stuff for 10-15 years if you like what the '90 brings to the table right now (which I do!). I have had the '90 Cuvee Reservee and Laurence only a few times, combined, and this was the most impressive showing. Sadly, I have only one bottle of this vintage; I'll probably break down and crack into it in two or three years. I'm intrigued to see how recent vintages will show with this kind of time in bottle - especially the great 2001. So much to look forward to...!

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  • 1983 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    No formal note. Served blind (a generous donation from the queen of Chateauneuf herself, Laurence Feraud), and served next to the '90 and '94 Cuvee Reservee and '95 Cuvee Laurence (see TNs). The color was less advanced than the '90 Reservee, which led me to incorrectly assume it was younger. What a surprise to see it was the great, rare 1983! I can't tell you how happy I was to get the opportunity to try this vintage in such perfect condition (it made the trip beautifully). I experienced the same thrill when I was served a perfect bottle of the '85 a couple years ago (see TN). In a word, fantastic. Gorgeous aromas of perfectly mature Chateauneuf backed up by everything you might hope for on the palate. Sublime texture. I would assume this wine has many years of life still ahead of it where it has been well-stored. As I shared with Laurence, this '83 is currently far more youthful than the '83 Beaucastel, which I've had a few times, most recently earlier this year (see TN). A special treat - thank you Laurence!

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Closing

One final note... Although I'm not a very active contributor on the board, when I have had the opportunity to meet and spend time with other board members, I am always struck by how generous and passionate everyone is. It's refreshing, and it reminds me what drinking fine wine is all about. Thank you.

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