Mark Fincham’s 2005 Red Note, a blend of mostly Grenache with Syrah kept in small barrels, is a classic Costieres de Nimes with plenty of fragrance, sweet black raspberry and cherry fruit, and some licorice, earth, and spice. Dark ruby/purple with supple tannin, it is a lovely wine to drink over the next 4-6 years. I did taste a cuvee of approximately 4,000 bottles that Laurence thought had the potential to be Cuvee da Capo, but when I saw her she had decided to just blend it with the Cuvee Reservee. It is very tannic, much like the Cuvee Reservee, and not nearly the elixir that the 2003, 2000, and 1998 Cuvee da Capos were. In short, she made a good decision.As a postscript, I did a vertical for some friends of some of Domaine de Pegau’s older vintages and to their amazement (not mine) we had one fabulous wine after another, including the 1981, 1983, 1985, 1989, and 1990. All of these wines were seemingly mature with the 1989 and 1990 obviously the two deepest and most concentrated, but all of them classic Chateauneuf du Papes with fabulous character, complexity, and richness. Life is too short not to drink abundant quantities of Pegau.These are some of my favorite wines in the world, and also some of my favorite visits, largely because of the charismatic Feraud family, from the daughter Laurence to the father Paul. While the estate in Chateauneuf du Pape is approximately 47 acres, there are some other projects including their vin de pays, their vin de table, and new negociant label of Laurence Feraud, mostly Cotes du Rhones. Also, her long-standing partner, Mark Fincham, produces lovely wine from the Costieres de Nimes called Red Note.Importers: Dan Kravitz, Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA; tel. (540) 347-9400; Martine’s Wine, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400; and J and R Selections, Mt. Pleasant, MI; tel. (734) 662-3753
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