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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% |
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Vintage Chart Mentality
Vintage Chart Mentality
Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch