Traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape Since 1670
Domaine du Pegau is a family-owned estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in France's Southern Rhône Valley, and one of the reference points for traditionally made Châteauneuf. Founded in 1987 by Paul Féraud and his daughter Laurence, the domaine draws on a family winegrowing history in the village that dates to 1670. Today Laurence Féraud owns and runs the estate, farming about 52 acres (21 hectares) of vines. Hand Picked Selections imports Domaine du Pegau to the United States.
A Féraud Family History in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The Féraud family has grown vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape since 1670, and holds titles to vineyards dating back to 1733. For generations, the family farmed cherries and olives alongside grapes. Laurence's grandparents, Elvire and Léon Féraud, and the generation before them expanded the family holdings to 54 acres.
Paul Féraud, the youngest of four children, went to work full time in the family vineyards at 14. Like most growers of the era, the Férauds sold nearly all of their wine in bulk to leading négociants, including Paul Jaboulet Aîné, David & Foillard, and Guigal. In 1964, Paul bottled 5,000 bottles under his own label, and estate bottling began.
Laurence Féraud and the Founding of Domaine du Pegau
Laurence, the only child of Paul and Odette Féraud, studied business and marketing in Paris and worked in wine sales before returning home to help run the estate. She pushed for a distinct family domaine with its own name and label, and in 1987 she and Paul launched Domaine du Pegau. The name comes from the pégau, a terracotta wine jug of the kind used at the papal summer residence that gave Châteauneuf-du-Pape its name. The jug still appears on the estate's branding today.
In 1987, the domaine farmed only 17 acres, and much of the wine still left the cellar in bulk. Laurence steadily took on more responsibility, bought old-vine parcels as they came up for sale, built a new winery, and grew export sales, reinvesting the profits back into the estate. By 1990, Pegau sold its entire vintage in bottle and had earned its place among the leading domaines of the appellation.
How Pegau Makes Wine
Pegau's style has changed very little in 150 years, and Laurence still makes the wines much as her grandmother did. The approach is classic, old-school Châteauneuf-du-Pape:
- Organic farming in top lieux-dits including La Crau, Montpertuis, Les Escondudes, La Solitude, and Les Bosquets
- Low yields and old vines, led by Grenache
- 100% whole-cluster fermentation with indigenous yeasts
- Long élevage in large, old oak foudres
- Bottling without fining or filtration
The result is a house style built on structure, elegance, and a wild, garrigue-driven character that you'll recognize across the range. Pegau reds are known for their longevity, with the flagship Cuvée Réservée capable of aging 10 to 50 years.
