Beautiful in the vintage, the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape is a forward, perfumed example of the cuvee that has classic Pegau black fruits, tobacco leaf, pepper and leathery notes as well as medium to full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. Early-drinking by this estate’s standards, there’s nevertheless good mid-palate density and fine tannin. It should have 15 years or so of overall longevity. Drink now-2026.
93 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue # 209 - Oct 2013)
Laurence Feraud's top cuvee at Pegau, da Capo, was the 100-point star of 2010, but she never quits and squeezed something darn good out of 2011 too. An iffy vintage for some, but not Laurence. When I stopped by her cellar in Chateauneuf earlier this month, I found the '11 Cuvee Reservee a beautiful wine with a detailed texture and more mourvedre in the nose, Grenache and the rest filling out the voluptuous body with dark cherries and plums. Sweet if not as expansive as 2010. How could it be? It's not the 2010, Laurence knows that and priced it so that it's a solid buy.
93 points, Bob Sprentall, B-21 Proprietor (Jun 2013)
This shows an enticing bay leaf note, with juicy blackberry and black currant fruit up front, followed by melted licorice and a tarry edge on the finish, underscored by a roasted alder accent. Has the friendly, racy fruit of the vintage, with some distinct character to boot. Best from 2014 through 2025.
93 points, Wine Spectator (Insider: Oct. 2, 2013)
Tasted from two different foudres; #1: Sexy, floral-accented aromas and flavors of blueberry and candied cherry. Spicy and energetic, with good clarity and lift. #2: Deeper and darker in character, showing intense cassis and licorice character and round, velvety tannins. The final wine should be as approachable as most '11s but with more heft and dark fruit character. I also detected less wild qualities in these samples than I've seen in recent vintages at Pegau. I daresay the ultimate wine could be downright polished.
91-93 points, Stephen Tanzer's Int'l Wine Cellar (Jan/Feb 2013)
"The Pegau estate of Laurence Feraud and her father, Paul, produces one of Chateauneuf du Pape’s most majestic, old-style, robust, super-concentrated, block-buster wines... I have long been a fan of this estate, and have put my money where my mouth has been, having purchased all of Pegau’s vintages since 1979."
-Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Friends, these are the words straight out of Robert Parker's mouth, as written in his indispensible tome, "The World's Greatest Wine Estates – A Modern Perspective." And lest you start thinking that Parker tossed around such praise to just anyone in Chateauneuf – a region with wines he considers "celestially sublime" ...think again. Of the more than 320 growers active in Chateauneuf, less than 2 dozen producers – including the "majestic" Pegau – were selected by Parker to be included in his book. Having personally visited with the charming and effervescent Laurence Féraud on multiple occasions, tasting vintages spanning more than a decade – including the greats and "not so grands" – proud to call many of these bottlings a part of my collection, I humbly submit: Parker nailed it! What more could you ask for?
Bob Sprentall, B-21 Proprietor (Dec 2014)
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