2011 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, La Crau, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe

2011 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, La Crau, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe

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2011 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, La Crau, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe

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Description

The 2011 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a blend of 40% Clairette, 30% Grenache Blanc and the rest Roussanne and Bourboulenc from 50-year-old vines. Aged in tank, foudre and, occasionally, demi-muid, it exhibits complex aromatics of rose water, buttered citrus, crushed rocks and spring flowers. The Bruniers have one of the more significant holdings of white grapes in Chateauneuf du Pape, a whopping 16 acres that produce 2,000 cases of white wine. The 2011 should drink well for 4-5 years.

The Brunier family continues to turn out a beautiful array of wines, ranging from its value-priced Le Pigoulet and new entry called Megaphone, to their top-of-the-line, world-class Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape. The estate’s second wine, Telegramme, possesses one of the most innovative and charming labels in the wine world. This estate is somewhat unusual in that it has 135 acres of contiguous parcels in the famous La Crau sector of Chateauneuf du Pape. It has one of the most precocious terroirs in the appellation, and is often among the first estate’s to harvest because of La Crau’s microclimate.
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #204, Dec 2012

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Wine Advocate90/100
The 2011 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a blend of 40% Clairette, 30% Grenache Blanc and the rest Roussanne and Bourboulenc from 50-year-old vines. Aged in tank, foudre and, occasionally, demi-muid, it exhibits complex aromatics of rose water, buttered citrus, crushed rocks and spring flowers. The Bruniers have one of the more significant holdings of white grapes in Chateauneuf du Pape, a whopping 16 acres that produce 2,000 cases of white wine. The 2011 should drink well for 4-5 years.

The Brunier family continues to turn out a beautiful array of wines, ranging from its value-priced Le Pigoulet and new entry called Megaphone, to their top-of-the-line, world-class Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape. The estate’s second wine, Telegramme, possesses one of the most innovative and charming labels in the wine world. This estate is somewhat unusual in that it has 135 acres of contiguous parcels in the famous La Crau sector of Chateauneuf du Pape. It has one of the most precocious terroirs in the appellation, and is often among the first estate’s to harvest because of La Crau’s microclimate.
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #204, Dec 2012 Read more
Robert Parker90/100
The 2011 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a blend of 40% Clairette, 30% Grenache Blanc and the rest Roussanne and Bourboulenc from 50-year-old vines. Aged in tank, foudre and, occasionally, demi-muid, it exhibits complex aromatics of rose water, buttered citrus, crushed rocks and spring flowers. The Bruniers have one of the more significant holdings of white grapes in Chateauneuf du Pape, a whopping 16 acres that produce 2,000 cases of white wine. The 2011 should drink well for 4-5 years.

The Brunier family continues to turn out a beautiful array of wines, ranging from its value-priced Le Pigoulet and new entry called Megaphone, to their top-of-the-line, world-class Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape. The estate’s second wine, Telegramme, possesses one of the most innovative and charming labels in the wine world. This estate is somewhat unusual in that it has 135 acres of contiguous parcels in the famous La Crau sector of Chateauneuf du Pape. It has one of the most precocious terroirs in the appellation, and is often among the first estate’s to harvest because of La Crau’s microclimate.
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #204, Dec 2012 Read more

About this WINE

Vieux Telegraphe

Vieux Telegraphe

Vieux Télégraphe is one of the most renowned estates in the Southern Rhône. Blessed with the finest locations in the area on the famed La Crau plateau, there is an emphasis on terroir expression and natural winemaking. The Bruniers, who own the property, started their love affair with La Crau in 1898 and on which they now own 70ha. This plateau – a Grand Cru equivalent in Châteauneuf-du-Pape – is so reputed for several reasons. Firstly, its galets roules (pudding stones) that re-emit the heat of the sun, producing a warm microclimate ideal for even berry ripening. Beneath these lies a subsoil of clay, which counters excess heat by keeping the vines hydrated and cool. Finally, at 120m altitude, it sits higher than surrounding areas. This brings exposure to wind (notably the Mistral), which again keeps the vines cool and free from diseases (and occasionally frost).

In 2021, the domaine was lucky to have been spared the worst of the flash frost that hit the region in April. Pallières was slightly impacted, but Piedlong and La Crau both emerged unscathed. The family did, nonetheless, see a moderate drop in yield due to the rains, with Vieux Télégraphe down by about 30%. Winemaker Daniel Brunier describes the vintage as classic, breaking the long series of “solaire” vintages we’ve seen since 2015. The wines show freshness but the slow and complete ripening brought about by a later-than-usual harvest brought with it concentration of flavours and balance. Daniel believes the wines will produce some wonderful surprises throughout the course of their ageing.

Alongside their Châteauneuf properties, the Brunier family owns Domaine des Pallières in Gigondas – a mixed farming estate set within the Provençal Forest. There they were not impacted by the rains (or indeed frost) in the same way. Daniel is extremely proud of the vintage. He describes the wines as pure, linear, with more moderate levels of alcohol and showing great sophistication and balance. He believes his Racines to be one of the best he has ever made.

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Southern Rhône Blend

Southern Rhône Blend

The vast majority of wines from the Southern Rhône are blends. There are 5 main black varieties, although others are used and the most famous wine of the region, Châteauneuf du Pape, can be made from as many as 13 different varieties. Grenache is the most important grape in the southern Rhône - it contributes alcohol, warmth and gentle juicy fruit and is an ideal base wine in the blend. Plantings of Syrah in the southern Rhône have risen dramatically in the last decade and it is an increasingly important component in blends. It rarely attains the heights that it does in the North but adds colour, backbone, tannins and soft ripe fruit to the blend.

The much-maligned Carignan has been on the retreat recently but is still included in many blends - the best old vines can add colour, body and spicy fruits. Cinsault is also backtracking but, if yields are restricted, can produce moderately well-coloured wines adding pleasant-light fruit to red and rosé blends. Finally, Mourvèdre, a grape from Bandol on the Mediterranean coast, has recently become an increasingly significant component of Southern Rhône blends - it often struggles to ripen fully but can add acidity, ripe spicy berry fruits and hints of tobacco to blends.

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