Domaine du Pégau is one of the top Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers and always among the top 3 in France’s Revue du Vin, Wine Advocate and other important magazines.
The visit of Pégau consisted of a seated tasting with 6 wines and a tour of the cellar. Different from the previous visit, we did not have a chance to take to Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud or Winemaker Andreas Lenzenwöger, as both were out of town.
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Pégau in 2018,
with Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud and Winemaker Andreas Lenzenwöger
Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Pégau in Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud and Winemaker Andreas Lenzenwöger - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Domaine du Pégau
There is evidence that the Féraud family cultivated vines as early as 1733. However Domaine du Pégau only came into existence in 1987 when Paul Féraud and his daughter Laurence created the estate with initially 17.5 acres of vineyard holdings.
Today the domaine has a total of 51 acres in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation with a small percentage (about 4 acres) of white grapes; 67 acres of the Côte du Rhône Village appellation, 5 acres of Côte de Rhône, and 53 acres VSIG (vins sans identité géographique – vin de France).
Pégau produces two special Châteauneuf-du-Pape red cuvées: one is the ‘Cuvée da Capo’ made most years and coming from a plot in La Crau. The lieu dit ‘La Crau’ is a very special plot in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyard sites and the most famous one. It is the area towards Courthézon and particularily rich in the galets roulés, round rocks or pebbles covering the clay soil, and perfect for retaining the heat.
Domaine du Pégau
SommSelect.com: They may only be in their third decade, but Pégau has
already topped restaurant and critics’ lists time after time. Like the
illustrious Château Beaucastel, Pégau utilizes all 13 authorized grape
varieties in their cuvée and extended aging always occurs in neutral
foudres (king-sized oak barrels). The end result is dark, delicious, and
remarkably fresh, with profound layers of minerality and spice. No
heat, no syrup, just astounding depth, texture, and gorgeous aromatics.
Should you be on the lookout for top examples of southern Rhône, Domaine
du Pégau is a sure bet, and their “rags to riches” story only adds to
the appeal. Once you taste "Cuvée Réservée," you’ll understand why they
attract so much fame—their wine is classic, way underpriced, and
genuinely ageworthy. We were lucky to get enough to offer six bottles
per customer today—bottles any serious collector would be happy to have
in his or her cellar.
Daughter-Father team Laurence and Paul Féraud have a grape-growing
lineage in southern Rhône that dates to the 1600s and evidence of
winemaking from 1733. Still, Domaine du Pégau didn’t formally exist
until 1987. At the time, Laurence was living in Paris and returned home
to help her father, Paul, farm the family’s 10 acres of vines. The
following year, their first vintage was crafted in a roofless winery—it
was still under construction. In an interview with the wine blog
Vinography, Laurence recalled the bare-bones operation during their
inaugural vintage: "We threw the bunches of grapes into the vats and
then after 15 or 20 days I got in and took the [grape] must out with a
pitchfork. It was my father, me, and one employee."
Money was tight in the beginning years and French wine critic Michel
Bettane was their saving grace: He stumbled upon them and penned an
article that resulted in much-needed exposure. Soon after, a businessman
interested in importing their wines approached them. Upon tasting a few
barrel samples, he requested their business, but the Férauds didn’t
even have the finances to bottle their wines, so he fronted them cash in
order to do so. At the time, Laurence was hand-applying every
label—over 800 a day. As years passed, new cuvées were birthed, more
vineyards were acquired, and their exports wildly grew. Today, Domaine
du Pégau is considered not just one of the great estates of
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but the world.
Laurence Féraud, along with her father—still working in his late 70s—and
a small team, farm 14 family-owned parcels around the region. Their
vines, some reaching the century mark in age, are situated in various
soils, mostly of clay and sand. Other parcels lie atop the classic
heat-absorbing galets (round stones) of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Laurence’s
holdings are predominately Grenache, but she utilizes all 13 permitted
grape varieties of the appellation, both in the vineyard and her "Cuvée
Réservée.” They practice sustainable farming and all grapes are
harvested by hand. In the winery, a spontaneous ‘whole-cluster’
fermentation occurs in cement tanks, followed by a twice-daily pump
over. After completion, aging takes place in large, neutral
foudres—never new oak—for 18-24 months. It is always bottled unfiltered.
Region: Southern Rhône
Sub-Region: Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Variety: Grenache 80%, Syrah 10%, Mourvèdre 6%, All Other Permitted Varieties 4%
Alcohol: 14%
Oak: Large Neutral Foudres
Soil: Clay, Chalk, & Sand Beneath Galets
Farming: Sustainable
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Cellar Tour
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Cellar
Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Pégau in Châteauneuf du Pape, with
Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud and Winemaker Andreas
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