Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Pégau Cuvée Da Capo Paul et Laurence Féraud 2003

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Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Pégau Cuvée Da Capo Paul et Laurence Féraud 2003

La «cuvée»

The majority of the vines used to produce this Da Capo cuvée are a hundred years old. It comes from three terroirs: sands in La Crau, pudding stones in Escondudes, and pebbles and red clay in Montpertuis. Following manual harvesting, the grapes are rigorously selected at each stage. There is no destemming, and terroirs and grapes alike are blended for vinification without additional yeasts or temperature control. The wine is matured for two years in an old 60-hectolitre oak barrel. The colour is purple, deep and opaque. The nose is dominated by black berries, along with licorice and a touch of black pepper. The palate is direct and powerful, with the tannins perfectly integrated into the wine's structure. It should be aerated five hours before a meal, or decanted an hour before.

Domaine Pégau takes its name from a type of 14th-century terracotta wine pitcher discovered during an archaeological dig around the Palais des Papes. The first deeds for the Féraud family’s property in Châteauneuf-du-Pape date back to 1733. However, it was only when the current generation’s great-grandparents extended the vineyard to 22 hectares that winemaking began in earnest. Elvira, who was married to Léon Féraud, was a winemaker and mother to 4 children. Her youngest child, Paul Féraud, began cultivating the family vineyard when he was 14 with the goal of producing locally on a small-scale. 1987 marked a turning point when Paul’s daughter returned home having studied viticulture and oenology and obtained a business school diploma in wines and spirits. She suggested to her parents that they create an independent domain together under the name Pégau. The family invested heavily in the venture, building a new winery for production and cellars to age the wine, but struggled to reap any financial rewards. In 1992 however, Domaine de Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape received some very positive reviews from various wine critics. At that point the domain started to export 90% of its wines and the family has since bought an additional 41 hectares of vineyards under the name Château Pégau.