Domaine du Pegau "Cuvee Reservee" Chateauneuf du Pape 2022
(Southern Rhone, France) - [JD 97] [JS 96] [WA 95-97] [VM 94] [DM 94]

Notes from the Winemaker:
The flagship of the Domaine du Pegau, the Cuvée Réservée represents the Domaine over the years. A blend of 13 grape varieties, mainly Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, the Cuvée Réservée reveals the typical characteristics of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape soils.

Grape varieties
Grenache 80%
Syrah 6%
Mourvèdre 4%
Others varieties 10%

Soil
Mainly covered with pebbles, clay and limestone mixture tends to iron and sand.

Winemaking / Elevage
Whole grape bunches are lightly crushed and fermented with wild yeasts for 5-7 days in traditional cement vats. This is followed by a further maceration period of 7-14 days, with1-2 pump-overs per day. The press and free run juice are then aged in 5,000 liter oak foudres for 24 months, and then blended and bottled without filtration.

97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Beautiful stuff and one of the gems in the vintage, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Réservée shows ripe black cherries, scorched earth, sandalwood, and incredibly peppery garrigue and spice. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate and has a pure, focused, concentrated mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's a serious, classic Pegau that has so much to love and will shine for another 40 years in cold cellars. It reminds me of the 2015. Drink 2025-2065." (Nov 2025)

96 Points - James Suckling:
"A very dark, structured and full-bodied Chateauneuf-du-Pape with aromas of leather, tar, raw meat and a hint of wild forest berries. Still very youthful and a bit closed, but the abundant fine-grained tannins give this terrific aging potential. A cuvee of 80% grenache, 6% syrah, 4% mourvedre and 10% other traditional grape varieties. Matured for two years in large, neutral oak. Drinkable now, but best from 2027." (Apr 2025)

95-97 Points - Wine Advocate:
"A quick assemblage from foudres of the 2022 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Réservée reveals a dark-fruited, spicy style, enlivened by hints of violets and garrigue. Full-bodied, rich and densely concentrated, with a long, silky finish, it looks to be a near-carbon copy of the stunning, cellar-worthy 2019. 2025-2045." - Joe Czerwinski (Oct 2023)

94 Points - Vinous Media:
"Cassis pastilles, strawberry jam, black cherry compote and a flicker of garrigue introduce the delicious 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée. Powerful, juicy and flamboyant in character, the 2022 might not have the sheer class and overall harmony as the standout 2020, but buyers can look forward to an open-knit, cellar-worthy Cuvée Réservée that’s going to demand at least four more years before starting to show its full potential. (Drink between 2029-2042)" - Nicolas Greinacher (Oct 2025)

94 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"Intriguing menthol nose, enjoyable garrigue herbal touches. It’s full-bodied, rounded, expressive, with good acidity. Robust tannins, so give this time to settle. Lots of whole-bunch characters, this is really quite old-fashioned, but in a good way – will likely always be a little lacking in elegance, but makes up for it with personality and textural relief, and a long finish. Also contains another 10 local varieties, around 1% of each. 2028-2037." - Matt Walls (Sep 2023)