The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee shares a similar meaty, gamy character intermixed with abundant notes of kirsch liqueur, ground pepper and Provencal herbs, sweeter tannins than the 2005, a voluptuous, full-bodied mouthfeel, and a long finish. The fruit seems sweeter and I would not be surprised if the 2006 has higher alcohol than the 2005 (although all top vintages here tend to be in the 14.8-15.6 range). This big, rich, impressive effort will age effortlessly over the next 20-25 years. 

Always one of my favorite places to visit, Laurence Feraud and her father, Paul (a speed fanatic who raced in on a motorcycle during my visit), conducted a fascinating tasting in their cellars. As value hunters know, several of the low end offerings here are wonderful expressions of Provence that deserve to be taken seriously. Under the family’s negociant label, Selection Laurence Feraud, there are some noteworthy efforts that are well worth checking out. As for the Domaine du Pegau estate wines, I had not yet tasted the 2007 Cuvee Reservee or 2007 Cuvee da Capo from bottle, and when I did, they lived up to all my previous accolades. Here are some in-the-bottle reports on recent vintages of Domaine du Pegau’s Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee, Cuvee Laurence and Cuvee da Capo. I have been buying the Cuvee Reservees since 1979 and the greatest examples include the 1981, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1990, 2003 and the 2007. Not that the other offerings are not high quality, but as Shakespeare said, “Comparisons are odious.”

Score: 95 Robert Parker (RP), The Wine Advocate (WA), October 2012