Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieux Telegraphe 2021

Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieux Télégraphe 'La Crau', Famille Brunier, Southern Rhone, France, 2021  

Grapes: 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah and 5% Cinsault & Clairette, 50ha vineyard of 70 year old vines planted on clay & "galets roulés" soil, sustainable farming, hand-picked, partial destemming, fermented in both steel & wooden cuves, 20-22 months in French oak, bottled unfined & unfiltered

Dense ruby/purple-tinged with an exquisite nose of salty sea breezes, liquorice, ground pepper, jammy black cherries, blackcurrants, figs, and plums, this is a full-bodied, rich, offering with lots of sweet, ripe tannin. It is surprisingly accessible for a Vieux Telegraphe (this wine normally shuts down several years after bottling), but it should have great longevity (25+ years) given its power, full-bodied mouth feel, and enormous length and richness.

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe does indeed derive its name from an old telegraph station, one which was once sited on the hill where this Châteauneuf domaine now stands

The Vieux Télégraphe vineyards are unusual in that they lie in a single block, on the La Crau plateau, today covering an area of 50 hectares. The ground is covered by the galets roulés, the large rounded stones which originated in the Alps to the east, and were transported down to lower lands by the action of floodwaters. They are classically associated with the vineyards of Châteauneuf du Pape, although they can also be found in other areas across the south of France. Beneath these stones there is a more organic soil, up to 1.5m deep, a molasse deposited here during the Miocene era, and then deeper again there is a red clay. The vines average an impressive 70 years of age.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"Still in tank when I visited in June 2023, the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau features scents of crushed stone accenting ripe cherries and  hints of garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, it offers taut acids allied to silky tannins and ample length on the finish. It’s not a huge blockbuster, but it fits nicely with the Brunier family’s evolution toward more elegance in their wines."

(92-94)/100 points, Joe Czerwinski, WINE ADVOCATE, June 2023 

"The Grand Vin from this great estate, the 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Paoe reveals a semi-opaque ruby hue to go with a classic style in its ripe red and black berry fruits, peppery garrigue, leather, earth, black olive and baking spice-driven aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, and balanced, with fine tannins, it’s a beautiful wine in the vintage that should have 15 years of longevity."

93/100 points, Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, August 2023

Drink with spicy lamb or chicken dishes, strong cheeses.