Notify me
2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe
There is probably no wine more identifiable to our company than VT, as most of us call it around here. Kermit calls it Vieux Télé. The quality and longevity of this noble Rhône red is so incredibly consistent that we almost take it for granted (stress on the almost). As the number of offers hitting your inbox and mailbox climbs to unprecedented highs, it is important to step back and remember the tried and true, the old reliables that remain the best and surest investments in fine wine today. It is also important to remember the heights that old-vine Grenache can reach when planted on these arid, stony plateaus in the shadows of Mount Ventoux. Brothers Daniel and Frédéric Brunier own one of the most enviable sites in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the magical moonscape of La Crau. Their terroir, their savoir-faire, and their steadfast adherence to tradition have kept these wines among the world’s best, and also among its greatest price-to-quality ratios when you consider their proven track record for aging and developing into marvels. Thirty-plus vintages with KLWM and still going strong, VT remains a pride and a joy to sell and to enjoy. –Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2012 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 65% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% (Cinsault, Clairette, et al) |
Appellation: | Châteauneuf-du-Pape |
Country: | France |
Region: | Southern Rhône |
Winemaker: | Frédéric & Daniel Brunier |
Vineyard: | 20 to 60 years |
Soil: | Alluvial deposits, Limestone, Silica, and Molasse (red clay) with galets roulés |
Aging: | Wine rests in cuves for 10 months, and then ages for another 12 months in foudres, wine is bottled unfiltered, after 22 months of aging |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2023 Gigondas
France | Southern Rhône
April Club Rouge ~ Durban does here what they do best, keeping the focus and precision of the terroir as well as loads of fruit and pleasure.

2023 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Blanc “Le Pigeoulet”
France | Southern Rhône
The blend is equal parts Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Clairette. Together, they create a wine that has a complex mouth-feel that finishes with a nice refreshing acidity.

2023 Côtes-du-Rhône “Sierra du Sud”
France | Southern Rhône
A pure Syrah bottling offering wild flavors of the Provençal countryside gently wrapped in a thick coat of tooth-staining deep purple fruit.

2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” HALF-BOTTLE
France | Southern Rhône
Just in the mood for a splash of red? A half-bottle of perfectly mature VT will transform the occasion!

2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” MAGNUM
France | Southern Rhône
It is important to remember the heights that old-vine Grenache can reach when planted on arid, stony plateaus in the shadows of Mount Ventoux.

2020 Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise HALF BOTTLE
France | Southern Rhône
Leydiers at Domaine de Durban are particularly proud of their Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, a vin doux naturel, as they are among the last to craft it in the traditional style.

2023 Côtes du Rhône Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
A fresh, pure entry point to the Rhône’s great reds with aromas and flavors of black cherries, stones, and a hint of black olive.

2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”
France | Southern Rhône
The majesty of the La Crau vineyard is encapsulated in this wine. I can't think of a grander expression of Southern Rhone terroir.

2022 Tavel “La Combe des Rieu”
France | Southern Rhône
This bears a rich bouquet of wild strawberry, flowers, garrigue, and sweet spices, culminating in a long, stony finale.

2023 Vacqueyras Rouge “ Doucinello”
France | Southern Rhône
The flavors are mostly deep and dark—stones, licorice, black olive, and blackberry—but the frame is lithe.
More from Southern Rhône or France
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2022 Vacqueyras Rouge “Floureto” MAGNUM
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux France | Southern Rhône
2023 Côtes-du-Rhône “Sierra du Sud”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2023 Vacqueyras “Un Sang Blanc”
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux France | Southern Rhône
2022 Tavel Rosé
Trinquevedel France | Southern Rhône
2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” HALF-BOTTLE
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2023 Côtes du Rhône Villages Rouge
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” HALF BOTTLE
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2023 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge “Le Pigeoulet”
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2022 Tavel “La Combe des Rieu”
Gaël Petit France | Southern Rhône
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2022 Vacqueyras Rouge “Floureto” MAGNUM
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux France | Southern Rhône
2023 Côtes-du-Rhône “Sierra du Sud”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2023 Vacqueyras “Un Sang Blanc”
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux France | Southern Rhône
2022 Tavel Rosé
Trinquevedel France | Southern Rhône
2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” HALF-BOTTLE
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2023 Côtes du Rhône Villages Rouge
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” HALF BOTTLE
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2023 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge “Le Pigeoulet”
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2022 Tavel “La Combe des Rieu”
Gaël Petit France | Southern Rhône
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236