Plan du Pegau 2005

This red table wine was produced by Domaine du Pegau with a blend of 65% Grenache, 30% Syrah and the remaining 5% is a combination of Chateauneuf grapes. It has the voluptuous body of a good Cocirc;tes du Rhocirc;ne with true intense, grilled flavors of Grenache. Enjoy this beauty with slow-cooked meals, including winter root vegetables.

Fans of Chacirc;teauneuf-du-Pape may recognize this label as belonging to Domaine du Pegau, one of the appellationrsquo;s top producers. In fact, the buzz about this estatersquo;s entry level wine is that itrsquo;s like drinking a baby Chacirc;teauneuf. Yet, therersquo;s nothing ldquo;entry levelrdquo; about this wine aside from being labeled merely as a Vin de Table. If anything, it is this classification that provides the producer more flexibility. French law does not permit Merlot to be blended in wines bearing Rhocirc;ne appellations (this is a blend of Grenache, Merlot and Syrah); therefore, the wine is declassified to non-vintage table wine status (L:2001 winks around the vintage restriction). The result is a wine of remarkable character, brimming with ripe blackberry and raspberry fruit. Hints of exotic spices, cloves and vanilla bean accent its fleshy richness, fine tannin and medium body. New World in style, focusing on purity of fruit rather than earthiness, this is a wine that satisfies both lovers of the southern Rhocirc;ne as well as the most finicky of bargain hunters.

Pretty dried cherry and plum fruit, with notes of pepper, lavender and mesquite. Nicely done. This is the declassified rsquo;02 Domaine du Peacute;gau and the bottle submitted did have a vintage date despite the Vin de Table Franccedil;ais status. Drink now.

As for the Domaine du Pegau estate wines from Laurence Feraud and her father, Paul, the non-vintage Plan Pegau L. 06 is the finest vin de table example I have ever tasted in these cellars. A blend of Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah from 2006, it possesses a deep ruby color as well as sweet cassis and cherry notes intermixed with garrigue, lavender, and pepper. Spicy, deep, and richly fruity, it should drink nicely for 2ndash;3 years.

A delicious vin de table from Domaine du Pegau, a top producer of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, this blend of Syrah, Grenache and Merlot might be the best value in our entire Rhone aisle. It offers sweet berries on the nose and scrumptious flavors of raspberry, cherry and leather that lead to a mouthwatering finish. Although this wine would not be out of place with a gourmet meal, it is priced right and perfectly suited to food from the grill.