Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau (375ML half-bottle) 2011
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The wines of Vieux Telegraphe evoke the concept of terroir in its purest form: they reflect their dramatic climate, the rough terrain that defines the soil, their full sun exposure at a higher altitude, the typicity of the varietals with an emphasis on Grenache, and of course, the influence of their caretakers, the Brunier family. For many, La Crau is Chateauneuf-du-Pape's grandest cru.
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The Bruniers pull this wine from old vines planted in the complex soils of La Crau, where the layers of alluvial soil, limestone, silica and red clay are all topped with large, smooth galets. In 2011, the wine radiates life, the scent alone invigorating in its vibrancy. It smells like a vineyard, earthy, herbal, sunny and warm; the flavors follow in the same vein, lush yet restrained in its focused, complexly spiced, wild cherry taste. It’s not at all heavy, but it’s a powerful wine, able to communicate the complexity of the site in a single sip.
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Wine Spectator
Tightly coiled for now, with pepper, garrigue and briar notes wrapped around a core of steeped cherry, damson plum and blackberry fruit. cedar and sandalwood accents line the finish, revealing a hint of blood orange. This needs some cellaring to unwind fully.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
With respect to the Vieux Telegraphe, the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape is a blend of 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault and other grapes, from vines that average 65-years of age. It is aged in both concrete tanks and old wood foudres. This beautifully made 2011 offers immediate drinkability, which is unusual for Vieux Telegraphe. A deep ruby color is accompanied by notes of pepper, roasted meats, Provencal herbs, black cherries, black currants, tapenade, seaweed and salty sea breezes. This complex, delicious, full throttle Chateauneuf du Pape should drink well for 10-15 years.
Range: 90-93
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One cannot think of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the most celebrated cru of the Southern Rhône, without thinking of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. The Brunier family is legendary in its own right, having been rooted to the enigmatic plateau known as “La Crau” for over one hundred years. The wines of Vieux Télégraphe evoke the concept of terroir in its purest form: they reflect their dramatic climate, the rough terrain that defines the soil, their full sun exposure at a higher altitude, the typicity of the varietals with an emphasis on Grenache, and of course, the influence of their caretakers, the Brunier family. For many, La Crau is Chateauneuf-du-Pape’s grandest cru.
The AOC for Chateauneuf-du-Pape is in the Rhone Valley stretching from Orange to Avignon. Domaine Vieux Telegraphe was founded in 1895, and takes it name Vieux Telegraphe (Old Telegraph) from a rocky plateau of the Domaine where in 1792 Me. Chappe, the inventor of the optical telegraph, installed a relay tower.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.
According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.
Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.
The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.