CDP Vieux Télégraphe, Vignobles Brunier Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe 2012

Rock-solid, with a hefty core of fig, blackberry and black cherry fruit, wrapped in chestnut and tobacco leaf notes and carrying through a lavender- and tar-framed finish. Dense and grippy, showing a slightly old-school shading. Should cellar well. Best from 2016 through 2030.

Lastly, the flagship 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape is a classically structured, elegant effort that will evolve gracefully on its balance and harmony. Showing the telltale seaweed, currants, olive, licorice and ample minerality so common in this cuvee, it's medium to full-bodied, lightly textured and focused on the palate, with plenty of tannin. It needs 3-4 years of cellaring and will have 15-20 years of longevity.

Located on the eastern edge of the appellation, near the village of Bedarrides, Vieux Télégraphe owns prime plots in the famed La Crau lieu-dit and fashion a traditional, age-worthy style of Châteauneuf du Pape. They continue to streamline the portfolio, and as I commented last year, now produce five Châteauneuf du Papes: three reds and two whites. The reds include the entry-level Télégramme, the Grenache-driven Piedlong, and their top cuvee, the classic Vieux Télégraphe. As for the whites, they have the classic Châteauneuf du Pape white, and while the La Roquete rouge was replaced by the Piedlong, they still release a white Châteauneuf du Pape under the La Roquete label. In addition to their Châteauneufs, this estate makes a bevy of high quality and well-priced releases from Ventoux.
I was able to taste their Gigondas releases from Domaine Pallieres, and opted to include these releases in this report as well. This estate is a collaboration between Vieux Télégraphe's Brunier brothers and one of the top Southern France importers, Kermit Lynch. They release two Gigondas, both mostly Grenache (the balance here is a mix of Syrah, Cinsault and Clairette) and aging occurs all in foudre. The Terraces de Diable comes from higher-elevation vineyards and more limestone soils, and the les Racines comes from the oldest vines of the estate, located around the domaine on the lower plateau, and comes mostly from clay soils.

The top wine of the estate, the 2012 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape (which is always a blend of 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault and other grapes, from 65-year-old vines) is a classic example of the cuvee and possesses gorgeous aromatics (kirsch, garrigue, big minerality and background meatiness), medium to full-bodied richness and a firm, tannic spine. As is common, it will require a handful of years in the cellar to come around and have 15+ years of longevity. Drink 2016-2027.