2010 Domaine du Pégaü "Cuvée Réservée" Châteauneuf-du-Pape

“Looking at the 2010s and a brilliant vintage for Laurence, the 2010 Châteauneuf du Pape offers up classic Pegau aromas and flavors of ripe dark fruits, garrigue, cured meats, tobacco leaf, saddle leather and hints of game. Full-bodied and beautifully concentrated, it offers a seamless, layered profile on the palate with thrilling mid-palate depth, sweet, yet substantial tannin, and a blockbuster finish that stays fresh and beautifully focused. Quite polished by this estates standards, it nevertheless screams southern France and I doubt it’s possible to have too much of this beauty in the cellar. (JD)” (10/2013)

“Intense, with the tarry, bittersweet cocoa fueled grip of the vintage running through a well-endowed core of crushed plum, blackberry paste and braised fig. The muscular finish picks up notes of brick dust, pepper, warm chestnut leaf and smoldering charcoal. A throwback profile, with a hyperripe core of fruit and it works. *Collectible, #7 Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2013* (JM)” (08/2013)

“Tasted from magnum, the 2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée bursts from the glass with alluring aromas of tobacco, cassis pastilles, loamy earth, smoky licorice, iodine and dried flowers. Leathery notes add a flicker of rusticity. More accessible than the Da Capo from the same vintage, the full-bodied 2010 Cuvée Réservée displays outstanding freshness on the palate, flawlessly structured with ripe tannins that have mellowed significantly since I last tasted this a couple of years ago. While I recommend another four years in a cool cellar for magnums, standard bottles should already be drinking nicely. Either way, readers can rest assured—there’s no need to rush. The 2010 Cuvée Réservée will continue to age well for many years to come. (NG)” (08/2024)

“It's an elegant Chateauneuf, the Grenache singing out in bell tones of cherry, herbal notes giving it coolness and restraint. The tannins are ferrous but fine, with a tenacity that holds the wine's freshness for days after opening--and should hold it in the cellar for another six years at least.” (02/2014)

“At the moment, the 2010 Réservée is intense but moody, showing a smoky, gamy, feral side. The fruit is subdued but concentrated, picking up multiple earthy, spicy nuances including iodine and licorice. It’s a big wine, with chewy tannins that leave the impression of fine suede behind on the long finish. *Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2014* (JC)” (11/2014)

“Very dense mulberry fruit. Tarry almost – certainly in terms of colour – and yet this wine seems to have real freshness and raciness to it. Quite an achievement! 18/20 points (JR)” (11/2012)