Producer
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe
This historic Châteauneuf estate has a well-deserved reputation for its long-lived wines. Belonging to the Brunier family, Vieux Télégraphe comes from a 65 hectare single plot lies on the plateau of La Crau, one of the highest points between the small towns of Châteauneuf du Pape, Bédarrides and Courthézon. The soil here is carpeted in the famous galets roulés, or pudding stones, which insulate the vines against both heat a...Read more
This historic Châteauneuf estate has a well-deserved reputation for its long-lived wines. Belonging to the Brunier family, Vieux Télégraphe comes from a 65 hectare single plot lies on the plateau of La Crau, one of the highest points between the small towns of Châteauneuf du Pape, Bédarrides and Courthézon. The soil here is carpeted in the famous galets roulés, or pudding stones, which insulate the vines against both heat and cold, and aid drainage. The elevation means these vines are exposed to the extremes of the Mistral wind and the fierce sunshine. Not what you would call easy to farm; but the Brunier family have clung to this unruly terrain for over a century, and produce some of the appellation’s most traditional and classically styled Châteauneuf from vines with an average age over 60 years. With bottle age the wines develop leather, spice and dried fruit characters. Their estate in Gigondas, Les Pallières, produces excellent Grenache based blends from vines that are slightly younger than those at Vieux Télégraphe, but still average an impressive 40-50 years. The estate is half owned by legendary American wine merchant Kermit Lynch, a long-standing friend of the family and Southern Rhône enthusiast. The high altitude (250-400m) of this Gigondas parcel affords the wines noticeable freshness.Read less
