The big news here is the Féraud family’s recent acquisition of 41 hectares of vineyards, all planted to red varieties, due south of Châteauneuf and abutting Sorgues to the west, and spanning the Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages (25 hectares), Côtes-du-Rhône (5) and more generic IGP (11) appellations. This almost triples the Férauds’ land holdings (they own 21 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape) and will allow them, according to Laurence Féraud, “to reach a far greater market than we could with Pégau.” And while she continues her negociant projects throughout the southern Rhône, “there’s nothing like having your own vines.” I’ve noticed a bit more refinement and less sauvage character to the Pégau Châteauneufs in the last few vintages, with 2008 being a high-water mark for wildness and gaminess here. That said, a couple of ‘08s that I’ve had recently were in no way excessively funky, which wasn’t the case a year or so ago.

2009 Domaine du Pégau Cuvée Laurence

94 pts. “Bright violet color; looks a lot younger than it is. High-pitched red fruit and floral pastille scents are deepened by notes of olive, licorice and smoked meat. Sweet,

expansive and seamless, offering intense raspberry and cherry compote flavors accented by white pepper and succulent herbs. Velvety tannins build on a finish of appealing sweetness, with a touch of bitter chocolate.”

2010 Domaine du Pégau Cuvée Inspiration

94-96 pts. “Ruby-red. Heady, spice-tinged aromas of candied red fruits, lavender pastille, incense and licorice, with a smoky nuance gaining strength with

aeration. Offers vibrant, palate-staining raspberry liqueur and bitter cherry flavors lifted by juicy acidity and a hint of white pepper. Supple tannins come up late and add shape to the strikingly long, sweet, penetrating finish. This wine is still aging in a foudre.”

Domaine du Pégau & Sélection Laurence Féraudby Josh Raynolds – February 2014

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2012 Domaine du Pégau Cuvée Réservée

92-94 pts. “Bright purple. Smoky, spice-accented aromas of blackberry and cherry-cola, with sexy floral and mineral overtones. Sweet and expansive on the palate,

offering an array of red and dark berry preserve flavors complicated by hints of Indian spices and black pepper. Rich and energetic, with strong finishing thrust, slow-building tannins and a late kick of smoky minerality. I was looking for some funky gaminess here but didn’t find any.”

2011 Domaine du Pégau Cuvée Réservée

92 pts. “Deep ruby. Ripe black and blue fruit aromas are complicated by potpourri, in-cense and licorice, with a smoky topnote. Sappy, focused dark berry and bitter

cherry flavors are sharpened by juicy acidity and show very good depth. Lots of fruit here but there’s good structure as well. Finishes sweet and long, with velvety tannins adding shape. As with the ‘12, there’s a degree of elegance to this wine and less of the wild edge of the Pégaus of a few vintages back.”

2010 Sélection Laurence Féraud Gigondas

91 pts. “Bright ruby. Smoke- and spice-accented aromas of dried cherry, cassis and licorice, with a peppery nuance emerging with aeration. Chewy, incisive bitter cherry and

dark chocolate flavors gain sweetness in the glass, with juicy acidity and a mineral element pro-viding lift. Dusty tannins frame a finish that strongly echoes the cherry and licorice elements. Powerful, deep and built to age; I’d let this one rest for at least a few more years.”

2010 Sélection Laurence Féraud Châteauneuf Du Pape

91 pts. “Opaque ruby. Ripe cherry and blackcurrant on the nose, with complicating notes of smoked meat, olive and lavender. Fleshy and broad but energetic too, offering

powerful dark fruit and floral pastille flavors and a hint of succulent herbs. Old-school in style, finishing with strong power and length, and fine-grained tannins adding grip.”