2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe
One of the many benefits of working with such old vines on the La Crau plateau, Daniel Brunier says, is that because the plants are low-yielding, they are less likely to suffer from hydric stress, even during a dry vintage like 2020. The fruit remains buoyant, balanced, and, in this case, ripe with olive, sage, and velvety black cherry. Tannins are softer this year than they were in 2019, but this vintage is nonetheless bold and ready to age for as long as you’re patient enough to cellar it.
—Jane Augustine
| Wine Type: | red |
| Vintage: | 2020 |
| Bottle Size: | 750mL |
| Blend: | 65% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% (Cinsault, Clairette, et al) |
| Appellation: | Châteauneuf-du-Pape |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Southern Rhône |
| Producer: | Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe |
| 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: | Organic (practicing) |
| Alcohol: | 14.5% |
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About The Producer
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe
One cannot think of Châteauneuf-du-Pape without thinking of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. The Brunier family is legendary in its own right, having been rooted to the plateau known as La Crau for over a century. The wines of Vieux Télégraphe evoke terroir in its purest form, reflecting the dramatic climate, the rough terrain, the sun exposure at a high altitude, the typicity of the varietals, and of course, the influence of their caretakers, the Brunier family. For many, La Crau is Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s grandest cru. The wines of V.T. are classic, displaying strength, rusticity, and tremendous longevity. Their goal is to find a harmony between aromatic complexity, tannic structure, and richness, which they achieve year after year.
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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