OMG #105 (Ann Arbor, MI): 13.5% abv. Impeccably balanced. Seamless. Very savory and a little wild, while staying grounded in sophisticated fruit. In a great spot, and I sensed it won't be fading anytime soon.
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Opened my first of 2 recently acquired btls from a private cellar retail offer. Tried my Ah So right out of the gate but the dry cork broke in 2. Then I tried my old fashioned bit cork screw and pushed into the btl. So, I was forced to double decant. First sips were excellent! 93pts Almost drinking like 25yr old Chambolle. Palate remained stronger than the nose. I poured back into another btl shortly after opening in hopes to protecting it from too much air. All in all, not as stellar as I hoped but there was at least a 25% chance of catching it past prime. Not 100% perfect but pretty enjoyable for its ethereal palate w/ sous-bois, pretty red fruit, mineral along w/ faint leather & earth notes. Nose was ok but not to cherish :). Not going to open my 2nd immediately but I'll get to it by early summer.
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4 hour slo-ox, 1 hour decant. Still needed time in the glass to open up and blow off some funk. Initial green on the midpalate. Gone after half an hour in the glass. Medium bodied, smooth mouthfeel, beautiful dark fruit with multiple layers of secondary and tertiary notes, cedar and oak. One glass kept in the decanter for about 24 hours was even better. Delight to drink.
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Probably the best Pegau I had. Just stunning and so complex. Loved the nose, very Pauillac like with cigar box, cedar and then evolved to more garrigue. Palate is so balanced between the sweetness of dart fruits and the acidity, earthy and tertiary notes. Just perfect.
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Somewhat dull on the nose on opening. I was surprised at how young looking the wine was- well not as brick as I thought it would be. Not a particularly feted year (in CDP or the North Rhone) so my expectations were not high; I am also not mad about the 1995 Pegau Reserve. Thus it exceeded my expectations quite significantly. A very enjoyable wine with some gaminess but plenty of red and black berry fruit. Nice balance, ripe tannins and good length.
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Completely different compared to the 1995. In the bouquet roasted coffee and brown spiced biscuit. On the palate there are more dark than red berries, garrige, good acidity and soft tannin with still some bite. Good length. Although I score the wines the same I liked this 1996 just a tad more.
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Served to me blind. It was clearly an Old World wine. The ripe red plums and blackberries on bouquet and palate briefly had me thinking this was a Right Bank Bordeaux. However, there was a big hit of barnyardy Brett (but not offputtlng, more just savoury complexity), as is characteristic of the house. There were also notes of herbs and garrigue, grilled field mushrooms and cooked meat juices that spoke of the Southern Rhone. On palate, the fruit sweetness hits on entry followed by the more savoury flavours present on the nose. Good volume and large scaled ripe, but not over-ripe or over-extracted, red fruit. This is a lovely mellow wine, showing some secondary development, but surprisingly primary for a 1996. The acidity present provides good freshness and the tannins are smooth and relatively well integrated. In its optimal drinking window but there is no hurry, at least on the evidence of this bottle. Edit: a knowledgeable friend said that this wine is in its prime right now and should be drunk in 3-6 years.
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big surprise. Came upon this in cellar and thought past drink up date. colour mature but alive. Wild nose of met , game garrigue and sweet grenache behind. Similar on palate with quite high acidity but this was fine with food. Really enjoyed the rest of it watching Masters third round. lovely bottle.
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I took a flyer on this on WineBid and was hoping for more ... but alas, it's a past mature, tired, poor vintage Chateauneuf. There is that telltale Pegau personality, a bit wild, meaty, bloody, roasted. It's certainly drinkable and even charming, but there is no prince or princess to be found whilst kissing this frog. It was well worth the try though.
Ripe, sweet red fruit on the nose with some spice and meaty notes. More fully red fruit and some dark fruit on the palate. Big in the mouth with some tannin and a ruggedness to it. Went well with our Thai dinner. Medium finish.
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Long overdue boy's nite (Reno, NV): Very light color, red to slight bricking and lots of clearing at the rim. Very aromatic with plenty of smoky, horsey brett, lots of very light and floral red fruits, plenty of minerality and herbal spice in there. On the palate the wine has very high acidity and is still quite fresh, the midpalate had good grenach breadth but lacked a little depth, very smooth transition into a low + tannin finish that is completely integrated. Good comparison to the 98 Pegau with more balance, less persistence and intensity... similar aromatic complexity. Much more finesse and a finer, lighter, more Burgundian texture... similarly classic expression of place. The wine is certainly a light Pegau that still has plenty of freshness and aromatic complexity albeit needing a bit more depth and extract to be great... at its peak.
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This three liter bottle is one that I bought at a charity auction about five years ago, and was somewhat nervous regarding prior storage. When I cracked through all the wax and removed the cork, we got a dry, musty odor that was disappointing and I assumed the worst out of this big bottle. The first taste was flat, fruitless and flabby. Sitting in the glass for just a few minutes and noting the changes led us to decide to decant it anyway (several decanters needed!) and the wine continued to open up and delight us all evening. Leathery, earthy notes with increasing fullness and flavor as it opened up, absolutely no tannins - this wine was ready to drink and is probably on the downside except for the three liter bottle. Very nice wine and a great treat for my guests.
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Opened with a bit of the barnyard smell but resolved into a traditional smokey bouquet. Medium bodied and fully mature. Tannis are gone. Traditional chateaneuf du pape.
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Based on some notes I've read I wasn't expecting much of this, but this bottle showed beautiful today, especially on the nose. Nice mature CNP aroma's with a noticeable animal stink that somewhat blew away after decanting. Sweet black and red fruit on the palate, with an undertone of kirsch and pepper. A bit hot and burning on the palate, and a rather short slightly astringent aftertaste do not dminish the overall pleasure of drinking this mature CNP with food, which it needs to be fully enjoyed at this stage of its life. On the second day the nose was more subdued and the palate less wild, but the wine was still enjoyable.
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A quick note on my last bottle. Darker color than expected. Barnyardy nose which blew off after some time/swirling. Very nice, mature CDP. A good match with dueling paellas (one traditional, one with lamb, egglplant & lentils). I would drink these now if you have them rather than risk catching on the downslope.
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Pégaü vertical tasting (Graz, Austria): Light garnet, brilliant, medium tears. Mature nose, lots of spices. Medium body, tickling red fruit, trace of caramel. Aftertaste with furry tongue tip, long, slightly bitter alcoholic in the end.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 16 for taste + 7 for overall = total score of 89.
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12/11/2023 - Tobinski Likes this wine:
OMG #105 (Ann Arbor, MI): 13.5% abv. Impeccably balanced. Seamless. Very savory and a little wild, while staying grounded in sophisticated fruit. In a great spot, and I sensed it won't be fading anytime soon.
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3/16/2023 - chablis28 wrote: 90 Points
Opened my first of 2 recently acquired btls from a private cellar retail offer. Tried my Ah So right out of the gate but the dry cork broke in 2. Then I tried my old fashioned bit cork screw and pushed into the btl. So, I was forced to double decant. First sips were excellent! 93pts Almost drinking like 25yr old Chambolle. Palate remained stronger than the nose. I poured back into another btl shortly after opening in hopes to protecting it from too much air. All in all, not as stellar as I hoped but there was at least a 25% chance of catching it past prime. Not 100% perfect but pretty enjoyable for its ethereal palate w/ sous-bois, pretty red fruit, mineral along w/ faint leather & earth notes. Nose was ok but not to cherish :). Not going to open my 2nd immediately but I'll get to it by early summer.
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1/17/2023 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
4 hour slo-ox, 1 hour decant. Still needed time in the glass to open up and blow off some funk. Initial green on the midpalate. Gone after half an hour in the glass. Medium bodied, smooth mouthfeel, beautiful dark fruit with multiple layers of secondary and tertiary notes, cedar and oak. One glass kept in the decanter for about 24 hours was even better. Delight to drink.
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4/4/2021 - french16 wrote:
Probably the best Pegau I had. Just stunning and so complex.
Loved the nose, very Pauillac like with cigar box, cedar and then evolved to more garrigue. Palate is so balanced between the sweetness of dart fruits and the acidity, earthy and tertiary notes.
Just perfect.
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10/25/2018 - Old Joe Likes this wine: 88 Points
Long in the tooth
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8/20/2016 - wxch2002 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Somewhat dull on the nose on opening. I was surprised at how young looking the wine was- well not as brick as I thought it would be. Not a particularly feted year (in CDP or the North Rhone) so my expectations were not high; I am also not mad about the 1995 Pegau Reserve. Thus it exceeded my expectations quite significantly. A very enjoyable wine with some gaminess but plenty of red and black berry fruit. Nice balance, ripe tannins and good length.
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1/9/2016 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Completely different compared to the 1995. In the bouquet roasted coffee and brown spiced biscuit. On the palate there are more dark than red berries, garrige, good acidity and soft tannin with still some bite. Good length. Although I score the wines the same I liked this 1996 just a tad more.
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4/2/2015 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Served to me blind. It was clearly an Old World wine. The ripe red plums and blackberries on bouquet and palate briefly had me thinking this was a Right Bank Bordeaux. However, there was a big hit of barnyardy Brett (but not offputtlng, more just savoury complexity), as is characteristic of the house. There were also notes of herbs and garrigue, grilled field mushrooms and cooked meat juices that spoke of the Southern Rhone. On palate, the fruit sweetness hits on entry followed by the more savoury flavours present on the nose. Good volume and large scaled ripe, but not over-ripe or over-extracted, red fruit. This is a lovely mellow wine, showing some secondary development, but surprisingly primary for a 1996. The acidity present provides good freshness and the tannins are smooth and relatively well integrated. In its optimal drinking window but there is no hurry, at least on the evidence of this bottle. Edit: a knowledgeable friend said that this wine is in its prime right now and should be drunk in 3-6 years.
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10/27/2014 - redders Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pale colour mature rusty. Wild garrigue on nose wafting liquorice leather. Light balanced and fresh. Fully mature but still plenty of vigour. Lovely
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4/13/2013 - redders Likes this wine: 90 Points
big surprise. Came upon this in cellar and thought past drink up date.
colour mature but alive. Wild nose of met , game garrigue and sweet grenache behind. Similar on palate with quite high acidity but this was fine with food. Really enjoyed the rest of it watching Masters third round.
lovely bottle.
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2/15/2013 - Eric wrote: 86 Points
I took a flyer on this on WineBid and was hoping for more ... but alas, it's a past mature, tired, poor vintage Chateauneuf. There is that telltale Pegau personality, a bit wild, meaty, bloody, roasted. It's certainly drinkable and even charming, but there is no prince or princess to be found whilst kissing this frog. It was well worth the try though.
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8/8/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Ripe, sweet red fruit on the nose with some spice and meaty notes. More fully red fruit and some dark fruit on the palate. Big in the mouth with some tannin and a ruggedness to it. Went well with our Thai dinner. Medium finish.
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11/17/2011 - RussK wrote: 93 Points
RUSSK WW at Il Mulino in Surfside. GSM no BB. My WoTN. Great balance. Earthy nose and mouth.
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5/16/2010 - fred112 wrote: 88 Points
Classic Pegau
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2/23/2010 - markjanes wrote: 88 Points
Long overdue boy's nite (Reno, NV): Very light color, red to slight bricking and lots of clearing at the rim. Very aromatic with plenty of smoky, horsey brett, lots of very light and floral red fruits, plenty of minerality and herbal spice in there. On the palate the wine has very high acidity and is still quite fresh, the midpalate had good grenach breadth but lacked a little depth, very smooth transition into a low + tannin finish that is completely integrated. Good comparison to the 98 Pegau with more balance, less persistence and intensity... similar aromatic complexity. Much more finesse and a finer, lighter, more Burgundian texture... similarly classic expression of place. The wine is certainly a light Pegau that still has plenty of freshness and aromatic complexity albeit needing a bit more depth and extract to be great... at its peak.
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1/10/2010 - FastTrack wrote: 88 Points
nose of black fruits, licorice, coffee; ripe, sweet, and full-bodied on the palate. Mouthfilling. Should be drunk now.
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12/28/2009 - slmckenney wrote: 86 Points
This three liter bottle is one that I bought at a charity auction about five years ago, and was somewhat nervous regarding prior storage. When I cracked through all the wax and removed the cork, we got a dry, musty odor that was disappointing and I assumed the worst out of this big bottle. The first taste was flat, fruitless and flabby. Sitting in the glass for just a few minutes and noting the changes led us to decide to decant it anyway (several decanters needed!) and the wine continued to open up and delight us all evening. Leathery, earthy notes with increasing fullness and flavor as it opened up, absolutely no tannins - this wine was ready to drink and is probably on the downside except for the three liter bottle. Very nice wine and a great treat for my guests.
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10/30/2008 - peblin wrote:
Domaine de Pègaü vertical tasting with Munskänkarna (Stockholms Vinkällare): Nose of red fruit (redcurrant. cherries), spice and animal. Powerful taste with lots of alcohol, medium tannins. Somewhat mature and good acidity. A dissapointing bitter aftertaste. Not one of the better Pégaüs.
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2/14/2008 - wynnewood500 wrote:
Opened with a bit of the barnyard smell but resolved into a traditional smokey bouquet. Medium bodied and fully mature. Tannis are gone. Traditional chateaneuf du pape.
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10/5/2007 - redders wrote: 88 Points
fully mature, beautifully wild nose earth and herbs, at peak now and a an eegant wine with great balance. Adelicious drink thoroughlyenjoyed by all
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1/6/2006 - Jozefs wrote: 90 Points
Based on some notes I've read I wasn't expecting much of this, but this bottle showed beautiful today, especially on the nose. Nice mature CNP aroma's with a noticeable animal stink that somewhat blew away after decanting. Sweet black and red fruit on the palate, with an undertone of kirsch and pepper. A bit hot and burning on the palate, and a rather short slightly astringent aftertaste do not dminish the overall pleasure of drinking this mature CNP with food, which it needs to be fully enjoyed at this stage of its life. On the second day the nose was more subdued and the palate less wild, but the wine was still enjoyable.
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7/16/2005 - JFish wrote:
A quick note on my last bottle. Darker color than expected. Barnyardy nose which blew off after some time/swirling. Very nice, mature CDP. A good match with dueling paellas (one traditional, one with lamb, egglplant & lentils). I would drink these now if you have them rather than risk catching on the downslope.
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9/27/2004 - Wilfried wrote: 89 Points
Pégaü vertical tasting (Graz, Austria): Light garnet, brilliant, medium tears. Mature nose, lots of spices. Medium body, tickling red fruit, trace of caramel. Aftertaste with furry tongue tip, long, slightly bitter alcoholic in the end.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 16 for taste + 7 for overall = total score of 89.
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