Tasting Dinner With Friends & Laurence Féraud

This was the second time (the previous encounter was several years ago) I walked into Mirans home and was met by a person that I recognize. For my slow brain it takes a few seconds before I realize that it is Laurence Féraud, owner and wine maker at Pegau. Nice to meet here again and and it became a great evening - thanks for the invite Miran!

All wines tasted double blind except for the Pegau bottles. Info about the Pegau wines here.

2005 Riesling Kabinett, Dönnhoff
A light, sandy nose with notes of green pears, white peppers, petrol and gravel. Nice but a bit thin.
The taste is still rather young and fresh with lemon peels, gravel and a touch of vanilla. A fine acidity. Medium long. Good.
83p   (tasted 2015/02)

2012 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese, Willi Schaefer
This stunner has a young, refined nose with notes of summer flowers, pear ice cream, earth and some grassy scents. Very deep yet light on its feet. Very, very good.
The taste is like drinking from a mountain river, with notes of wet stones, lemon cream, ripe pears and freshly cut grass. Long and elegant. Really fine and very young.
93p   (tasted 2015/02)

2001 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Spätlese, Robert Weil
Much sweeter than your ordinary Spätlese, both on the nose and the palate. There are notes of lemon cream, saffron, ripe yellow apples and sweet minerals. Very good.
The taste is big, creamy and semi dry with lots of focus and notes of dried apricots, lemon cream and gravel. A long, concentrated finish. This is very good but needs a few more years in the cellar.
90p   (tasted 2015/02)

2012 Côtes-du-Rhone Villages Cuvée Setier, Château Pegau
We then got to taste four bottles that Laurence brought. The nose is young and fruity with notes of red cherries, sausage, ink and undergrowth. Upfront and good.
The taste is young, tight and peppery with notes of ripe blueberries, cherries, herbs and bakelite. A medium long, fresh finish. A really good everyday wine.
86p   (tasted 2015/02)

2012 Côtes-du-Rhone Cuvée Maclura, Château Pegau
The Cuvée Maclura has the same basic characteristics as the Cuvée Setier, but the fruit is creamier and with more depth. There is even a hint of dried strawberries lurking. Very, very good.
The taste is tighter and the tannins are more obvious. Today it is a bit masochistic, but I like it! Give this 3-5 years in the cellar and it will be great,
89p   (tasted 2015/02)

2008 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence, Domaine du Pegau
This beauty shows of a deep, warm, hedonistic nose with notes of raspberry liquorice, garrigue, scorched earth and tar. A very fine warmth. Deep, ripe and really fine.
The taste is tight, warm and spicy with notes of cherry jam, liquorice, meat stock, herbs and old leather. The finish is long, warm and pure. This is gooood!
93p   (tasted 2015/02)

2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée, Domaine du Pegau
Even better is the Cuvée Réservée! The nose is young, seedy, focused, pure and absolutely gorgeous. Notes of red cherries, raspberry liquorice, pressed flowers, earth and a multitude of herbs. Very focused and fine.
The taste is tight and concentrated with notes of red and black cherries, fried herbs, liquorice, tar and a hint of cocoa. The finish is very long and structured. Lots of tannins but also masses of fresh fruit to back the up. The best young Cuvée Réservée I have ever tasted.
95p   (tasted 2015/02)

2008 Barolo Brunate, Marengo
Miran did it again - opened a magnum and served it in two decanters. The last time, I thought that the upper part of the magnum was the better one. This time it was the opposite...
The nose is deep and young with notes of lovely ripe red cherries, rosehips, lots of mushrooms and some cigarr smoke scents. Very deep.
The taste is young, tight and high strung with notes of hard cherry candy, earth, rosehips, rose water and dusty chcocolate. The finish is long and loaded with tannins. This will need at least 5+ years in the cellar.
92p   (tasted 2015/02)

2006 I Sodi di S. Niccolo, Castellari
This is a stunner! The nose is hauntingly beautiful with notes of ripe red cherries, dried mushrooms, Tuscan gravel, dried flowers and fresh rosemary. A touch of violets after a while. Very refined.
The taste is young and concentrated with notes of red and black cherries, bakelite, dried flowers, leather and warm gravel. A long, aristocratic finish. This is even, in its young age, better than
 the fantastic 1997.
96p   (tasted 2015/02)

2008 Barolo Brunate, Marengo
This turend out to be the bottom half of the magnu above. Very much alike, but the identical wine? Not in my notebook anyway. This seemed deeper and with streaks of black fruit in the mix alongside some red liqourice. Very, very fine.
The taste also had multitudes of similarities, but again, not exactly the same, with even more tannins and notes of sweet rosemary and lots of minerals. A great wine in the making.
94p   (tasted 2015/02)


2002 Romas Vineyard Old Vines Grenache, Clarendon Hills
Aussies with age is often a hit or miss. This time is was a miss. The nose is big, sweet and compact with notes of cherry pie, bay leaves, chocolate and some alcohol whiffs. Deep yes, but complex no.
The taste is big, foursquared and warm with notes of chocolate covered cherries, raspberry liqourice, ginger bread and tooth paste. A long, hot finish. Interesting enough, it worked with the food.
81p   (tasted 2015/02)

2004 Barolo Pie Rupestris, Cappellano
The Rupestris had been opened and double decanted s few hours before pouring. Ant it behaved, other differences beside, more open and accessible than the Pie Franco below.
The nose is deep, multi layered and elegant with notes of mashed cherries, rosehips, fresh mushrooms, forest floor and hints of expensive tobacco. Oozes harmony and class.
The taste is more intense and structured with notes of hard cherry candy, dried mushrooms, liqourice and forest floor. The finish is long and taut and just lovely. Still young of course but with some hours in a decanter this beauty could really be enjoyed now.
Since the late Theobaldo didn´t want his wines to be scored, I never do. (tasted 2015/02)

2004 Barolo Pie Franco, Cappellano
The Pie Franco was just popped and poured and the first sniff is that of a wonderful expression of the Nebbiolo grape, with ripe cherries, spices, rose petals and mushrooms. With air a scent of chocolate and rosehips emerge. Very fine.
The taste is sturdier than the Rupestris, full of sweet cherry fruit and lots of finely grained tannins. The finish is long and structured with notes of rosehips, liqourice and tar. This will need time, but what a charmer already!
Since the late Theobaldo didn´t want his wines to be scored, I never do.   (tasted 2015/02)