2015 Domaine du Pégaü "Cuvée da Capo" Châteauneuf-du-Pape

“The 2015 'Cuvée da Capo' is absolutely stunning in this vintage. It is composed of 70% Grenache, 7% Syrah, 3% Mourvèdre along with 20% other authorized varietals. As this sensational red begins to unwind it releases an incredibly complex aromatic profile starting ripe black cherries, dark plums and raspberry coulis followed by violets, smoke, garrigue, black olives and savory herbs which all come together beautifully. On the palate this possesses a gorgeous full body, with a remarkably rich, seamless texture that is backed with velvety tannins and remarkable overall concentration and depth. It goes on to impress with its striking purity and balance leading up to the ultra-long, multidimensional finish that seems to carry on forever. This is an absolutely magical effort from this legendary estate, and while already simply irresistible, it is ultimately an age-worthy wine which will go on to have a brilliant future for decades to come. (JD)” (01/2019)

“The tiny production 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Da Capo is a powerhouse and unquestionably one of the top wines in the vintage. Compared to the 2010 by Laurence, it offers a stacked, full-bodied, incredibly concentrated feel as well as a blockbuster bouquet of blackcurrants, tapenade, cured meats, garrigue, and assorted Provençal street market-like aromas and flavors. It doesn’t have the sheer volume or flamboyant character of the 2016 (which I think is a better wine) but is deep, straight, and as classic as it gets. Hide bottles for 3-4 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy them over the following 2-3 decades. (JD) 98+” (08/2018)

“As I reported last year, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo is impressive. While it's less flamboyantly aromatic than the Cuvée Réservée, it's more powerful and concentrated. Full-bodied and rich, it's loaded with potent raspberry fruit and silky tannins and boasts a finish that won't stop. Hints of roasted meat, lavender and thyme add complexity to the waves of fruit, which wash gently across the palate, exhibiting a lovely soft touch. (JC)” (08/2018)

“All 13 varieties have been used from lieux-dits La Crau, Les Escondudes and Mont Pertuis, with no destemming. There's some complexity and interest on the nose already, with aromas of violets, blueberries, raspberries and a touch of tobacco leaf. The wine is medium to full-bodied, but without any heaviness, with sublime freshness and piercing acidity. This has real life, and a lightness of touch which delivers real drinkability. Very fine, abundant ripe tannins work like a lattice through the fruit. The fairly raised levels of alcohol don't give a sense of imbalance in the wine, and it finishes on a lifted note. The best Da Capo in a long time. Real elegance. (MW)” (10/2017)

“Opaque ruby. A hugely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red/blue fruits, pungent flowers, garrigue, licorice and exotic spices. Stains the palate with deeply concentrated, spice-laced black raspberry, boysenberry, fruitcake and floral pastille flavors underscored by a vein of juicy acidity. Shows superb clarity and floral lift on a strikingly persistent finish that features reverberating florality and building tannins. (JR)” (10/2021)

“Laurence Féraud joined her father, Paul Féraud, in the family winery in 1987, helping him shift the focus from selling juice to bottling their own wines. Today, the estate is one of the region’s top names, farming nearly 52 acres spread throughout Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Da Capo is the estate’s top bottling, produced only in years the duo agrees are exceptional, and focused on the fruit of their oldest vines, some of which date to 1905. All of Châteauneuf’s 13 grape varieties are represented in the blend, fermented with their stems and ambient yeasts in cement tanks; the wine then rested for two years in old oak casks. One whiff of this 2015 might transport you directly to a sunny day in the southern Rhône, with its fresh, herbal breeziness and lush, ripe fruit tones. But it’s the way those scents and flavors array on the palate that’s exceptional, with a precision that brings to mind the clean lines and harmonic colors of an English garden. It feels well cultivated instead of worked, the flavors transparent, layered, held aloft by a fine-boned structure that keeps the wine vibrant for days after opening. Delicious now, this should age well for the next 20 years.” (10/2018)

“Made only in exceptional vintages, the Cuvée da Capo is a powerful, deeply nuanced wine pulsating with fruit and earth complexities. Black-cherry and red-plum flavors are alluring and ripe yet tinged by veins of moss, smoke and fur. It's soft and silky on the palate yet composed. The finish is long and lifted. Gorgeous already it will improve through 2030 and hold further. *Editors' Choice* (AI)” (11/2018)

“Juicy and focused, with a dense core of cherry paste, kirsch and plum preserve flavors supported by fresh acidity and racy tannins. Loads of bay leaf, garrigue and warm stone notes score the finish, where additional waves of fruit kick in, adding length and depth. (JM)” (06/2018)