Varietal: 80% Grenache, 6% Syrah, 4% Mourvèdre, 10% Other Varieties
96-98 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I was even more impressed by the 2020 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Réservée than the 2019. Boasting crazily complex floral scents, garrigue, raspberries and cherries, this is one incredibly perfumed example of Pegau. Medium to full-bodied, silky, elegant and long, this is quintessential Pegau. My tastings during my evening visit to Domaine du Pegau included a number of other wines, both from Chateau Pegau and Selection Laurence Feraud. Those will be included in my follow-up coverage of other appellations of the Southern Rhône. For this report, I've focused on the current and upcoming releases from the property itself.
96 Points James Suckling
A layered and well-balanced Chateauneuf-du-Pape with aromas of wild berries, dried herbs, leather, roasted meat and stones. It’s full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Lots of layers and poise with a restrained character on the palate, despite the generous nature of the vintage. Complex and velvety with lots of cherry character and dried herbs towards the finish. Funnelled and structured with great focus and length.
96 Points Vinous
The 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée is one of the strongest vintages for this wine in recent history. It is magnificent, soaring from the glass with pungent aromas of crème de cassis, ripe raspberry and strawberry, cured meat, tobacco, licorice, iodine and garrigue. Full-bodied, vibrant to the core and offering a multidimensional profile, this wine is really, really good. The Féraud family and the entire team deserve a round of applause for this sublime Cuvée Réservée, which will still be kicking ass 20 years from now.
94 Points Decanter
Decidedly stemmy, this has lots of white pepper and a slightly vegetal note. Full-bodied, very savoury, this ends on fibrous stems - they're not very well-integrated yet, but they rarely are at this stage; give it time. Good purity and freshness of fruit, however, with juicy raspberry and plum, which helps to smooth over the stems. Very fresh, good acidity, moderate alcohol—this could be a great Pegau in time. The remaining 10% of the blend contains a further 10 minor Châteauneuf varieties. Whole-bunch fermented in concrete, aged in old foudres.
94 Points Jeb Dunnuck
Looking at the classic 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Réservée, it shows the ripe, round, opulent side to the vintage as well as classic Pegau notes of gorgeous black cherries, Provençal garrigue, sandalwood, and ground pepper, with some background meaty nuances. Medium to full-bodied, it has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, plenty of ripe tannins, and outstanding length. It's a more forward style of Pegau, not far off the style of the 2018, but it will nevertheless keep for two decades.
Winemaker Notes
Spicy aromas of ripe red fruit, cassis, toasted herbs, pepper and roasted meat on the nose. Big, rich and full-bodied on the palate, with a long, lingering finish.
Food Pairings
Excellent with strong cheeses and grilled/roasted meats.
