Laurence Feraud doesn’t like to be hurried, and neither, she argues, does her wine; her Chateauneuf-du-Pape is released a year later than at most other domaines. Laurence is the irrepressible force of nature behind her family’s wines. The Feraud family have been involved in winemaking since the 17th century, but it was only when Laurence returned from wine school in 1987 that she convinced her parents to constitute Domaine de Pegau. Under her stewardship, Pegau has taken its place in the top tier of Chateauneuf estates.

Winemaking here is resolutely traditional. The Cuvee Reservee is mainly Grenache mixed with a little Syrah and Mourvedre, but packs in a total of ten other grape varieties for a complex final blend. The grapes are not destemmed. They are fermented in concrete tanks with natural yeast, then aged for two years in old oak foudres. The black fruit and garrigue notes of the youthful wine will in time evolve into notes of dried stone fruits, leather and sandalwood.

Laurence likes to describe Cuvee Laurence as the ‘big sister’ of the Cuvee Reservee. It begins with the same blend and elevage, but gets an extra two years in foudre. This extra time allows for an even more complex wine, in which supple tannins play off against the spice of the old wood. (NT 15/08/23)