1990 Chateauneuf du Pape

A big step up, and showing that the warmer, richer years dish out the most pleasure at maturity, the 1990 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reserve is drop-dead gorgeous, and close to my favorite of the night. Possessing a thrillingly complex, mature feel, with full-bodied richness and a layered, textured and seamless mouthfeel, this puppy was singing, with loads of lavender, peppery herbs, game and dried flower-like aromas and flavors. I don’t see it getting any better, and would drink it while it still has this voluptuous, hedonistic slant that makes it such a joy to drink. Created in 1987 (although there were some earlier bottling released) Domaine du Pegau is run today by the father/daughter team of Paul and Laurence Feraud. When setting up this retrospective, I was shocked when Laurence Feraud told me she had never done a vertical tasting like this. While I know they drink their older cuvees often, I think the idea of opening so many wines for one tasting could be seen as wasteful, and in reality, it is. However, it’s also incredibly educational, and as Laurence commented, shows the story of the domaine. I was thrilled to take part in this tasting, which also included Laurence’s parents, Paul and Odette. Importers: Dan Kravitz, Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA; tel. (540) 347-9400

The 1990 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée has fantastic aromatics of licorice, beautiful dark fruit, spice and subtle earth notes. Full bodied with great concentration, a beautiful texture and a long finish.

A nephew of Paul Feraud, the proprietor of Domaine du Pegau (another up and coming super-star in the Rhone), Eddie Feraud produces a natural, unfiltered, personality-filled wine. The saturated deep purple color suggests high extraction and the impressive fragrant, peppery, gingery, plummy nose is already evolved. Rich and full-bodied, this exotic, intense wine is not without a flaw or two (some volatile acidity is present), but for a gutsy, rich, artisanal style of wine that delivers tremendous intensity and complexity, it is a wine to search out. Anticipated maturity: Now-2005. Importer: J. & R. Selections, Mt. Pleasant, MI.