The debut release of 1998 Cuvee da Capo (made from incredibly low yields of 90% Grenache and 10% the other twelve permitted varietals) is profound. The color is a dense, thick-looking, ruby/garnet/purple. The aromas begin slowly, but then roar from the glass like an out-of-control locomotive, offering up a smorgasbord of candied black fruits, pepper, garrigue, earth, and truffles. Enormously thick and rich, but, amazingly, not heavy, this blockbuster, full-bodied Chateauneuf du Pape is still youthful, but should age gracefully for three decades. The Cuvee da Capo is frightfully expensive by Chateauneuf du Pape standards, but if quality like this existed in Burgundy, consumers would be willing to pay $500 a bottle. Think it over! Issue #131 rating: Cuvee da Capo 95-97; Cuvee Reservee 92
The 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo is a monument to old vine Grenache as well as traditionally made Chateauneuf du Pape. Boasting a natural alcohol of 16%, this wine, which was bottled in spring, 2003 because its fermentation was extremely slow, has virtually everything you could ever want in a profound Chateauneuf du Pape. The color is inky/ruby/purple to the rim. The extraordinary nose reveals aromas of kirsch liqueur, new saddle leather, animal fur, Provencal herbs, spice box, licorice, and a salty sea breeze character. On the palate, the wine is enormous, with an unctuosity, thickness, and purity that must be tasted to be believed. Over 95% of this offering is old vine Grenache, and the rest a field blend of ancient vines. Representing the essence of Chateauneuf du Pape, it possesses so much concentration that it is easy to pose the question ... “where’s the tannin?” Analytically, it has very high levels of tannin, but the tannin is barely noticeable given the wine’s exaggerated wealth of richness and power. This is a modern day legend in the making, and despite its precociousness and ease in smelling and consuming, it will not hit its prime for another decade. It should last for 25-30 years, and take its place among some of the greatest Chateauneuf du Papes ever made. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030+
Domaine de Pegau’s magical 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo is a magnificent offering. Tipping the scales at 16.1% alcohol, it boasts a blockbuster nose of dry vintage port intermixed with pepper, herbes de Provence, and roasted meats. Frightfully concentrated with layers of glycerin and fruit, it should prove to be one of the appellation’s greatest classics. More backward than either the 1998 or 2000 Capos, it is an enormously endowed, hugely concentrated, exhilarating effort that will last for three decades or more. It is a strong candidate for the “wine of the vintage.” Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035+. When I asked Laurence how she would describe this beauty, she said, “It consists of 80% of a great vintage of Chateauneuf du Pape, 20% a vintage port, and the rest some Syrah and other things we throw in for complexity.”
Readers will probably not be able to find any of it, but the 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Inspiration (only 240 magnums produced) is essentially the vinification of the Cuvee Reservee, a selection of the best lots, a la the Cuvee da Capo, and an upbringing similar to that of the Cuvee Laurence. It resembles neither the Cuvee da Capo nor Cuvee Reservee, coming across as something totally different. It is very concentrated, bold, flamboyant, and big boned with high tannins, spectacular concentration, and enormous extract as well as richness. Despite the later bottling, it is still an infant, and should evolve over the next 2-3 decades. It is an “inspirational” wine.
P.S. A wine that is not to be missed is Laurence’s partner’s Costieres di Nimes. Mark Fincham produces a beautiful blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache called Red Note. The 2006 may be the finest yet made. It is an exuberant, flamboyant, richly fruity wine with loads of Provencal character. 2006 looks to be a very strong vintage for this region, even superior to 2005. The 2005 Red Note is more restrained, tannic, and closed, but quite good. One further note, I do not know what Laurence Feraud’s intention is, but she insisted that I taste two wines from Crete that she may or may not represent in France. One was the 2006 Nostos, a 100% Syrah, and the other was a Syrah/Grenache blend, the 2005 Nostos Cuvee Alexandra. Both were outrageously good wines that merit plenty of attention from adventurous wine consumers. I would buy them in a nanosecond if they were available in America!