2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Laurence

I loved the 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence, a serious wine from this solid, always charming vintage. Saddle leather, currants, garrigue, pepper, and ample spice notes flow to a full-bodied, opulent, concentrated wine that has terrific mid-palate depth. While it's relatively soft and forward on the attack, it has density as well as tannin. It's going to drink nicely for two decades. I’ve included the Château Pégau and the Selection Laurence Feraud here as well as the normal Domaine du Pégau releases. Looking at the vintages reviewed here, I was only able to taste the 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée from the 2017 vintage, so I’m not sure if there will be a Cuvée Da Capo, although I would be surprised not to see one, given the quality of the vintage. The two 2016s are still in foudre and barrel, but this is an undeniably great vintage for this estate, and the wines will surpass what was achieved in 2015, which are great wines in their own right. The 2015s showed beautifully from bottle, and this is a vintage compared to 2010 by Laurence, although I don’t completely share that belief. There’s a firmness in the 2015s that’s nor far off the 2005s, but both the Cuvée Réservée and Cuvée Da Capo are incredibly concentrated and will be very long lived. There are two vintages of the Cuvée Laurence reviewed as well, and as I’ve written in the past, this is the same wine as the Cuvée Réservée only aged longer, which normally gives the wine a more evolved, rounded style. In short, this is an undeniable reference point for traditionally made Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and life is too short not to drink copious quantities of Pégau!

Previously unreviewed by The Wine Advocate, the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Laurence is 80% Grenache, 6% Syrah, 4% Mourvedre and the balance a mix of other authorized varieties. After approximately four years in foudre, it shows intense scents of leather, cherries, apricots and cocoa. It's full-bodied and supple, approachable now but capable of aging for up to two decades. It's a terrific example of this cuvee and how Grenache can benefit from extended elevage. Aug 2018, www.robertparker.com