Several years ago Robert Parker famously said "life is too short not to drink abundant quantities of Pégau". It's easy to understand why: Paul and Laurence Féraud have produced dozens of monumental vintages over the past 3 decades. The Féraud family has been involved in winegrowing in the Châteauneuf du Pape for generations, going back as far as the 1670's. However,the fame of the domaine was not well established until Laurence returned from university in 1987 and commenced winemaking with her father Paul.

The Féraud's domaine is comprised of 21 hectares in some of Châteauneuf's most prestigious sites, including a nearly 5 hectare portion of the legendary La Crau. Soils in these sites are comprised of Miocene era sandy marl, overlaying limestone and the classic quartzite stones for which the region is famous.  Yields are very low and the grapes are hand-picked.

This is an extremely traditional estate - there are no additions of yeast or temperature control during the winemaking process. Winemaking begins with a brief pressing to break the skins of the grapes; the whole bunches are then placed in cement vats for a maceration of 10 to 15 days. The clusters remain in the vats until the completion of the alcoholic fermentation, when they are transferred to old oak foudres to mature until bottling. In the case of the 'Cuvée Réservée this maturation takes place for 24 months.

 Interestingly, the Féraud's staunch adherence to regional tradition is also reflected in the estate's name: in Provençal dialect, a 'pégau' is the clay pitcher traditionally used for serving wine. The term was current at the time of the Popes of Avignon in the 14th Century. Laurence is extremely proud of the fact that an ancient example has been found on the family's property.

The wines of Domaine du Pégau are some the most sought after in the region, and the reputation of the estate continues to grow. Today's offer is the 2011 vintage: while it possesses plenty of Pegau's hallmark density and richness, it is a more forward wine that will provide drinking pleasure long before the monumental 2010.