Domaine du Pegau Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Réservée 2005

BN#221785

Wine Spectator

Shows gutsy blackberry and fig fruit up front, with notes of pepper, licorice, Turkish coffee and garrigue. The superlong finish lets roasted herb and beef notes check in, while gaining even more depth as this airs. Not quite as much range as 2003 and 2004, but has the intense grip of the vintage and should cruise in the cellar for two decades. Best from 2009 through 2028. 6,000 cases made.

Score: 94. —James Molesworth, June 15, 2008.

Wine Advocate

The three lots of 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee (again, no Cuvee da Capo was produced in this vintage) had not yet been blended. Tasting through all of them, they scored between 91 and 94, so I suspect this offering will be similar, qualitatively, to the 2006. But, it is a very different style of wine. It reveals a dark ruby/purple hue along with notes of tar, roasted meats, and Provencal herbs, which give it a certain savage/animal character. The wine is ruggedly constructed, concentrated, full-bodied, tannic, and firm in the finish. For comparison purposes, it comes closest to 1995. The 2005 will need time to come around, and the Ferauds were leaning toward bottling it in late 2007 or early 2008. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025.

Score: 92-94. —Robert Parker, October 2007.