Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée da Capo 2015 150cl

As I reported last year, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo is impressive. While it's less flamboyantly aromatic than the Cuvée Réservée, it's more powerful and concentrated. Full-bodied and rich, it's loaded with potent raspberry fruit and silky tannins and boasts a finish that won't stop. Hints of roasted meat, lavender and thyme add complexity to the waves of fruit, which wash gently across the palate, exhibiting a lovely soft touch.<br/>At Pegau, Laurence Féraud greeted me with her seemingly permanent level-headed good nature. Every time I see her, she tells me how overwhelmed she is with work, and I marvel at her composure. These hot, early vintages must be tough on the estate in some ways, as the property doesn't have proper temperature controls for the reds. Still, they're extremely successful, so maybe technology is seriously overrated? After all, the 2016 Cuvée da Capo was vinified outdoors because the cellar was full. Féraud continues to believe in using whole clusters and longer-than-average élevage for her wines, and as she keeps the Cuvée Réservée in foudre for two summers, it's fascinating to see how the wines evolve, seeming to gain weight while at the same time smoothing out during their maturation. Féraud said she feels the 2015, 2016 and 2017 are all very different, but, she says, "I like the vintage differences. You work all year, you don't want the wines to all taste the same." For the first time, there are back-to-back vintages of the Cuvée da Capo (2015 and 2016), which means there will be a Cuvée Laurence in 2017. Recent releases of the Laurence, which spends four years in foudre, include the 2012 and 2013, both reviewed in this issue. Don't overlook the white wines, or the Côtes du Rhône bottlings under the Château Pegau label (reviewed separately).

Saturated ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of ripe dark berries, incense and garrigue , accented by a sexy Asian spice nuance in the background. Plush, seamless and alluringly sweet, offering intense black raspberry, cherry liqueur and floral pastille flavors that reach every corner of the palate. Smooth, seamless and deeply concentrated but lively as well; velvety tannins add shape to an extremely long, spice- and mineral-accented finish. The interplay of richness and vivacity here is awfully impressive.

Juicy and focused, with a dense core of cherry paste, kirsch and plum preserve flavors supported by fresh acidity and racy tannins. Loads of bay leaf, garrigue and warm stone notes score the finish, where additional waves of fruit kick in, adding length and depth. Best from 2020 through 2040. 830 cases made. –JM