2019 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau Proprietary Blend

2019 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau

96+ RP

From the critics:

95 VM

94+ JD

93 WS

Featured Review

The 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau is a hugely successful vintage, marked by scents of sun-warmed stones, garrigue, black cherries and black olives. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it finishes with tremendous length and softly dusty tannins, which should help ensure a long, positive evolution. Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Robert Parker | 96+ RP

Saturated ruby. Deep-pitched red/blue fruit liqueur aromas pick up suggestions of licorice, pipe tobacco and pungent flowers and herbs with air. In a lush, weighty style, offering expansive black raspberry, cherry cola, singed plum and fruitcake flavors sharpened by a jolt of spiciness on the back half. For all this wine’s richness, it’s energetic as well, showing solid, spice- and floral-driven persistence on the finish, which is framed by velvety, even tannins.

Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape is ruby/purple-hued and has the classic translucent color of the domaine. It’s more precise and focused than the Télégramme and will need more time, but it offers a complex, gorgeous bouquet of red and black fruits, crushed stone, wild fennel, and ground pepper. Pure, medium to full-bodied, and elegant, do your best to hide bottles for 5-7 years and it’s going to keep for two decades.

Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JD

Silky and refined, with focused cherry puree, plum reduction and raspberry coulis notes racing through, infused subtly with rose petal, warm stone and lavender hints. Features nice perfume through the finish. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault. Drink now through 2036. 12,000 cases made, 2,841 cases imported.

Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Type of Wine	Chateauneuf du Pape : You can expect Chateauneuf-du-Pape reds selection to wash over you with a combination of leather, game, tar, and delicious dried herbs, creating a spice mixture that commands respect from even the harshest non-believers. Chateauneuf-du-Pape whites are ever so refreshing and bold, frolicking in a field of floral notes and earthy minerals.
Varietal	Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country	France : Wine is the lifeblood that courses through the country of France, pulsing with vigorous pride and determination. Viticulture is not just a hobby or an occupation in France; it is a passion, a cherished tradition that has been passed down through generations of wine stained hands. Winemaking is a beloved art that has been ingrained in the culture, an aptitude instilled in sons by fathers and the hallmark for which France’s reputation was built, allowing it to be renowned as, arguably, the most important wine producing country in the world. For centuries, France has been producing wines of superior quality and in much greater quantity than any other country in the world. It boasts some of the most impressive wine regions, coveted vineyards and prestigious wines on earth. The regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Sauternes and Champagne have become the benchmark, for which others aspire to become. Legendary producers such as Chateaux Margaux, Domaine De La Romanee Conti, Chapoutier, d’Yquem and Dom Perignon are idolized world-wide. France has stamped its name on nearly every style of wine, from the nectar-like sweet Sauternes to hedonistic Chateauneuf Du Papes classic Bordeaux and Burgundy, to its sparkling dominance in Champagne. Many of the most infamous grape varietals in the world, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay originated in France and are not only beloved, but utilized in the creation of some of the greatest wines on earth. French wine production commands the attention of the wine market year after year. With over 860,000 hectares under vine, and numbers close to 50 million hectoliters of wine produced annually, France dominates the market and sets the standard for not only product quality, but also quantity. France’s many contributions to the world of wine have been absolutely indispensable. The country is the originator of the term “Premier Cru,” coined the term Terroir (a French term so complex there is no literal translation) and has laid the blueprint for a structured appellation system, which others have implemented in their own countries. French vineyard techniques and winemaking practices are mimicked world-wide. California vintners have been replicating Rhone style wines for decades, South America has adopted the French varietal of Malbec and countries around the world are imitating Burgundian styled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. With vast diversity in terroir, France is home to some of the most hospitable winegrowing locations on earth. The combination of topography, geology, climate, rainfall and even the amount of sunlight combined with the long historical tradition of winegrowing and making, has allowed the vintners of France to not only hone their skills, but learn from nature to create a product that like the world in which it resides… is very much alive.
Region	Rhone : While the Northern Rhone produces only about 5% of all wine coming out of the Rhone Valley, the quality of these bottles is not to be underestimated. The terroir in this region is heavenly for growing Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne or Rousanne - the only permitted grapes in the AOC. Picture this - the Rhone flows through the valley like an azure thread piercing the landscape, a reflection of the dreamy skies hovering above the vineyards, ready to produce rainfall at a moment's notice. The rocky soil of the steep, almost surreal hillsides provides a bountiful feast for the grapevine roots. The flavors and texture of Northern Rhone wines tell you everything you need to know as soon as your lips touch the elixir, like a whisper in the vigorous valley winds As per the Southern Rhone wine, it is like taking a plunge into a whirlpool of juicy flavor. Every sip explodes forward like a crashing tsunami, bathing your tastebuds in delicious aromas of prune, chocolate, grass, and black fruit. The wines are so compelling that it can be hard to drink them casually at a social event without getting lost in their intricate textures and emotional depths. Let's set sail together, and drink deep from these luxurious bottles with our friends and loved ones.
Subregion	Southern Rhone
Appellation	Chateauneuf Du Pape
Climat/Vineyard	La Crau

Producer	Vieux Telegraphe : “It’s the soil,” insists Daniel Brunier, of the rocky field where the vines of Domaine Vieux Telegraphe are planted. The plateau of La Crau ascends 130 meters above sea level where a unique terrain and micro-climate help to develop the wines of Vieux Telegraphe in the AOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) of Chateauneuf-Du-Pape. Considered unfit for cultivation, its soil a thankless proposition due to a high density of pebbles; this is where Henri Brunier, in 1891, lay claim to what would become one of the most iconic domaines in all of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. What began as a small and potentially impossible endeavor, has turned into a family empire that now controls 247 acres in Southern Rhone, producing 16,000 bottles annually. Fifth generation, Daniel Brunier and head wine maker for the legendary Domaine claims the unique terroir of the La Crau lieu-dit majorly influences the consistency and success of the wines produced here. There is no irrigation on the property, allowing the natural flow of water through layers of pebbles and clay that dominate the landscape. More importantly is the Mistral; the name of a powerful, intense wind that often sweeps through parts of France’s Rhone region for weeks at a time. Without the Mistral, Brunier claims that Chateauneuf-Du-Pape may not exist. With a non-interventionistic approach, the winemaking philosophy is simple; if the wine arrives naturally in the winery the personality of the soil appears much more evident. The personality of the terroir is a magical mixture of natural and human traits that suffices in itself to unveil an expression that no oenological technique can yet produce. Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Cinsault, and Clairette Rhone varietals cultivate on this rocky but sustainable terrain where they enjoy the benefits of the unique micro-climate and soil structure. Vieux Telegraphe produces a multitude of Chateauneuf-Du-Papes, including their flagship, a Chateauneuf-Du-Pape Blanc and Telegramme (their second label). They have also extended their reach to the outlying lieu-dits of La Roquete and Piedlong in the AOC of Chateauneuf-Du-Pape. Extending even further into Gigondas and Ventoux where more Brunier wines prosper under the tender care of the fifth and sixth generation family members. For over a century the Brunier family have been producing wines that exemplify classic Chateauneuf-Du-Pape. What once was rocky and formidable terrain has been transformed into a fruitful and now legendary Chateauneuf-Du-Pape estate with a family tradition of winemaking that surpassed expectations and has developed into a quintessential Rhone Valley icon.