2012 Domaine du Pegau "Cuvée Réservée" Châteauneuf-du-Pape

This is the real deal. So many CDP these days are so polished and juicy, it's easy to forget that there's a tradition of rustic winemaking in the region. Indeed, Pegau is widely regarded as ultra old school and it's always one of my favorite offerings. The richness and depth are balanced by complex leathery earthiness. Drying Tobacco, deep dark berries, and exotic spice; the appeal is endless. Structured yet already showing wonderful openness, the tannins will give it life long into the next decade. It's not full on barnyard, but a wonderfully integrated element of brett. This is some real-ass wine. Wine that makes you really stop for a second and wonder what you're wasting your time worrying about life or worrying about anything for that matter. Don't worry, drink Pegau — that's what I always say.

This consistent property is one of my favorites from the region and seems to always over-deliver. Classic aromas and flavors of earth, seaweed, ripe cherries and licorice are strong and pure in this richly textured wine. The long, sweet finish hints at black raspberries and Indian spices that mingle with the ripe, rounded and tongue-coating tannins. Although delicious now, this property seems to out-cellar almost any Chateauneuf-du-Pape that sells for less than $100.

Turn off the damn telly, find a comfortable armchair, nestle down with an irresistible page-turner, and pour yourself a glass of this captivating Chateauneuf while you pour yourself into the mystery. Time will stand still between sips of this storied red wine and slips of artfully-conceived dialogue, as you yield to the emergent aromas of blackberry, plum, violets and garrigue, devouring mid-chapters of warm spice, smoke and licorice evocative of the wild, stony terroir from which these beautiful grapes were born. This sensual, rollicking Rhone builds glass by glass to a bold climax, and by the end you will have finished the bottle, if not the book, and ask yourself perplexedly "who dunnit?'

Being a bit of a classicist, Pegau has always held sway over my Chateauneuf drinking experiences. It has become one of my comfort wines. That probably has as much to do with the wine's quality as it does my history with it. The purity of expression cannot be denied. Consistently year after year they make noteworthy and cellar-worthy wine. But my history with the wine is one of great nostalgia. Pegau was one of the first Chateauneufs I ever really drank (not just tasted but consumed with gusto) and I can still remember what I paired it with. I made a roulade of beef (flank steak pounded out, layered with a cheese and herb stuffing, then seared and braised). The wine and the dish were magical together. Almost 20 years later, I can recall with great detail that singular experience. I may have changed but the winery and their attention to detail and sense of place have not. In that wine, I can still remember the rich fruit, supple tannins, smoky finish and lo and behold they are here once again. The 2012 gives all of that and more. A beautiful perfume of currants and raspberry coulis emerges with notes of saddle leather, cloves and allspice. Fine tannins and underlying acidity, no trace of heat, this is how I remember Chateauneuf and what brings me comfort. It's nice to know that after all these years, I can still rely on my old friend Pegau regardless of vintage. And now that my friend is in town, it's time for us to catch up, perhaps I'll bust out that old recipe and see where the night takes us.

Dried currant on the nose with a hint of brett, the 2012 Pégau shows slightly smoky earthiness while still presenting surprising brightness and black fruit through the palate. Complex and just as rich as you’d expect heady Châteauneuf-du-Pape to be, this is just so good.

Powerful nose of spice, plums and hints of earth, on the palate this wine has a lustrous feel, smooth, rich and broad, but just under the surface you can feel the power, structure, it just has a bit of baby fat on the outside. On the palate the wine has a smoky, bacon fat flavor with lots of spice and plumy richness. A powerhouse, best to lay down for a few years but still possible to wade through its youth and drink now!

Lovely dark, rich nose full of herb, pepper, and smoky fruit. This is a great example of Chaeauneuf Du Pape, and a reason that those who love rich, yet complex wines look to the region. Despite the rich berry of the nose and on the palate there is plenty of acid here to give lift and length to this wine. Blackberry and currant vie with herbal notes to flesh out the middle and there is a good amount of tannin on the finish. A serious wine that is seriously good.