Right from the large cask. Wow, Young, clean and tight with amazing concentration. Balanced with dark and rich fruit and a killer long finish. .

Deep ruby color. Intensely floral nose features vibrant red and dark berry aromas complicated by smoked meat, garrigue and coffee. Deep, supple and sweet, showing superb depth and sweetness to the concentrated raspberry and cherry flavors. Expands and grows spicier on the back, finishing sweet and smoky, with incredible length.

The 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee, which I tasted in three separate components all scoring between 92 and 95 points, is a tannic, backward style for Domaine de Pegau with saturated color, huge tannins, high acidity, and powerful, muscular, full-bodied flavors. The wine has all the essence of Provence from its meatiness, aromas of roasted herbes de Provence, and sweet licorice, blackberry, and kirsch liqueur notes, but it is formidably tannic, dense, as well as fresh and lively. This wine will no doubt need 4-8 years of bottle age and should be uncommonly long-lived, lasting for at least two or more decades.

The 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee (normally a blend of approximately 80% Grenache and the rest Syrah and Mourvedre) exhibits a deep ruby/plum/garnet hue along with lots of grilled meat juices, roasted Provencal herbs, tar, blackberries and black currants. The wine is medium to full-bodied, still firm and tannic. It is those tannins that make the 2005 somewhat reminiscent of a tight, more austere-styled vintage such as 1995. The 2005 needs at least another 4-5 years of cellaring, and should last for 20 years or more. Always one of my favorite places to visit, Laurence Feraud and her father, Paul (a speed fanatic who raced in on a motorcycle during my visit), conducted a fascinating tasting in their cellars. As value hunters know, several of the low end offerings here are wonderful expressions of Provence that deserve to be taken seriously. Under the family’s negociant label, Selection Laurence Feraud, there are some noteworthy efforts that are well worth checking out. As for the Domaine du Pegau estate wines, I had not yet tasted the 2007 Cuvee Reservee or 2007 Cuvee da Capo from bottle, and when I did, they lived up to all my previous accolades. Here are some in-the-bottle reports on recent vintages of Domaine du Pegau’s Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee, Cuvee Laurence and Cuvee da Capo. I have been buying the Cuvee Reservees since 1979 and the greatest examples include the 1981, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1990, 2003 and the 2007. Not that the other offerings are not high quality, but as Shakespeare said, “Comparisons are odious.” Importers: Dan Kravitz, Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA; tel. (540) 347-9400; Martine’s Wine, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400; and J & R Selections, Lansing, MI; tel. (517) 393-4441