Le Vieux Télégraphe - Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Classic type, with beeswax but no oxidative notes, all finesse, above all, do not drink chilled.

About the domain :

This splendid estate in Bédarrides is one of the appellation's major crus, with a vast, single-block vineyard located entirely on the Crau plateau. The red wine is one of the most complete in the appellation, in a style skilfully perfected by the Brunier family, which does not emphasize power despite generous alcohol content, but rather balance and drinkability. To achieve this, we play on complex grape varieties and don't necessarily seek out over-ripe grapes! The various wines formerly produced in the cru Roquette vineyard are now integrated into vieux-télégraphe, the excellent clos-roquette in white and the magnificent red under the name of the lieu-dit, piedlong.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

This 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is a blend of Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Bourboulenc aged in foudre. A model Châteauneuf offering lovely notes of white peach, green almond and honeysuckle, with a medium-bodied, concentrated palate that's still very fresh and crisp. Drink it any time in the next decade or more.

About the domain :

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

In white, Vieux Télégramme boasts dense flesh and juicy fruit. It offers a beautiful aromatic complexity.

About the domain :

Under the name Vignobles Brunier, we have grouped together the estates of Vieux Télégraphe, La Roquète (which became Accent de La Roquète from the 2011 vintage) and Les Pallières, in Gigondas, all owned by the Brunier brothers. Three benchmark estates. The splendid pebbles of the Crau, a warm terroir, are the source of the typicality of Vieux Télégraphe wines. The estate produces an important and unique cuvée of great regularity. Grapes with little or no destemming, matured in old foudres, produce rich wines that need long cellaring to dissipate their energy. They then reveal all the minerality of this superb terroir. Located in the center of the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the vineyards are planted mainly on the Pielong plateau and the sandier Pignan district. From 2011, La Roquète becomes Accent de La Roquète, produced from the finest grapes. The wines are always straightforward and pure, more elegant than imposing. The rest is downgraded to cuvée Le Télégramme, a newcomer to the French market. And finally, Domaine Les Pallières, a magnificent Gigondas vineyard terraced beneath the Dentelles de Montmirail. The wine expresses itself in a deep, structured style, without heaviness.