quote:

Originally posted by Eric LeVine:

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy Fitzgerald:
How many people that pay the extra money for a CdP Reserva

What exactly is a CDP Reserva? Do you understand that the term Réservé or Réservée in France carries no legal bearing, whereas Reserva and Riserva and Spain and Italy just imply a certain amount of extra time in cask. More specifically with Domaine de Pegau, their "Cuvée Réservée" is actually their 'base' bottling with two more expensive wines (Cuvée Laurence and Cuvée da Capo).

As I was reading through this thread I was wondering if/when someone was going to point this out.

At $29, the Pegau CR is a no-brainer and I certainly wouldn't have hesitated to open one now.

quote:

Originally posted by billhike:
When you pay for my wine, you can tell me how to drink it.

Big +1, bravo.

Well I have a case of these, so based in part on this thread and Dan Kravitz's comments I knew it was time to crack this along with some grilled rack of lamb. Booyah, this is one to dig into, pure love already even as a baby!

• 2008 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/20/2012)
  This is supposed to be a weak vintage? Yum, I love 'weak' vintages of Pegau like 1994, 1999, 2004, 2006 etc. This 2008 is already strutting, in fact exploding. It is nowhere near as concentrated as vintages like 98, 00, 03, and 07, but it makes up for it with loads of white pepper, spice, garrigue and pure ZING. Like most Pegau, it is certainly heavy on the blood and iodine and shows some brett, but the wine is very energetic, spicy, complex and just downright enjoyable. I doubt this will make VERY old bones, but I suspect there is a great decade of drinking. It is already pretty darned ready to go, so dig in and enjoy! (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

*No way* would I call 2004 a "weak" vintage for Pegau.

Yeah well that was why I put the silly single quotes around 'weak'. However the fact remains that certain major critics scored 2004 somewhat more weakly. Regardless, it is one of the best drinking vintages of Pegau at this point.

Of recent vintages, I have not had the 2003, but I would say that 2004 is my favorite vintage and showing better than the 2007.

quote:

Originally posted by Wine doc:
...2004 is ... showing better than the 2007.

Huuuuuuuuuge +1.

I might not even like the '07; I don't for now, at least.

I just came from a tasting that featured a few Pegau wines, being poured by Laurence Feraud herself- more about her later. In her words, the 2008 Cuvee Reservee is a wine to drink now and over the next ten years. She said it will not shut down, but remain open and enjoyable over that ten year span. So there you have it, straight from the horse's mouth.

Not nice to call Laurence a horse...

The 2008 was drinking so well last week I think I might kill another bottle.

I'm a huge fan of Pegau.
Thank you for the notes, Eric.
While I'd passed over this vintage upon release, I will now pick one up and check this out in the very near future.

quote:

Originally posted by KSC02:
I'm a huge fan of Pegau.

Since when?

quote:

Originally posted by Mimik:

quote:

Originally posted by KSC02:
I'm a huge fan of Pegau.

Since when?

True. It's all relative. While I don't personally have photos of myself wearing a crown with Pegau in one hand and a turkey leg in the other... like some on this board... I do honestly enjoy the Pegau wines.
I bow to your highness

quote:

Originally posted by KSC02:
True. It's all relative. While I don't personally have photos of myself wearing a crown with Pegau in one hand and a turkey leg in the other... like some on this board...

Nor do you have a restraining order against you from the winemaker.

quote:

Originally posted by steve8:

quote:

Originally posted by KSC02:
True. It's all relative. While I don't personally have photos of myself wearing a crown with Pegau in one hand and a turkey leg in the other... like some on this board...

Nor do you have a restraining order against you from the winemaker.

Yes well at least that proves I am a fan!

quote:

Originally posted by KSC02:

quote:

Originally posted by Mimik:

quote:

Originally posted by KSC02:
I'm a huge fan of Pegau.

Since when?

True. It's all relative. While I don't personally have photos of myself wearing a crown with Pegau in one hand and a turkey leg in the other... like some on this board... I do honestly enjoy the Pegau wines.
I bow to your highness

With the exception of the 2003, I never heard you talk about Pegau before. Just sayin'.

We've gone through 3 bottles of this in the last month, it is drinking amazingly well. On par with 2000, 2001, and 2004, i.e. excellent wines that seemed to drink well and never shut down. Low to mid 90pt wines for me. All drinking much better than 2003, 2005 and 2007. Not sure what the 2003 will turn into, but 2005 and 2007 have the stuffing to make incredible wines down the road.

Opened my second of these last weekend, and while still not a great wine, it was noticeably better than the first one, which was a little dirty. We drank this alongside the 2010 with braised short ribs and mushroom risotto.

2008 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (1/19/2013)
Dinner with Friends (Oswego): Popped & poured just before dinner and followed over four+ hours. Immediately better than the last bottle- no brettanomyces or overly vegetal qualities here. Dark fruit, plum and roasted game aromas at first. Develops lovely garrigue and violet notes as it opens. Medium-bodied, with plum, meat, iron, earth and garrigue flavors. Finishes quite nicely. (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Hi, so i am planning to take this to dinner (wife and me only) at a restaurant tomorrow night. Am I crazy to PnP and then decant after pouring the first 2 glasses? Does it need a lot of air before drinking?

I'm glad I came across this thread, but bummed I missed out on the entertainment that occurred last year with it. Too funny.

quote:

Originally posted by Merengue:
PnP and then decant after pouring the first 2 glasses? Does it need a lot of air before drinking?

I think your plan is perfect. It was pretty much ready to go right out of the bottle IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by AllRed:

quote:

Originally posted by Merengue:
PnP and then decant after pouring the first 2 glasses? Does it need a lot of air before drinking?

I think your plan is perfect. It was pretty much ready to go right out of the bottle IMO.

Agreed.

Totally flawed. Bretty as hell, the barnyard, leather horse saddle and manure nose says it all. Overpowers and mutes everything else. Undrinkable. My wife was ticked off and i made the mistake of not bringing a plan B.

Seriously, how can there be so much bottle variation? Notes on this wine are totally polarizing. I have 3 more, i hope i get lucky and get a clean bottle. Pegau needs to clean up their act. Seems unacceptable to me.

Wow, what a difference a vintage makes. Reading this thread prompted me to search for pegau and I found that I can pick up a 2008 for $40, and a 2009 for $90. Hmmm... 2 X 2008 or 1 X 2009?