A vibrant and elegant second-label Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the famed Brunier family, the 2021 Télégramme is Grenache-driven and crafted from younger vines and select older parcels. It shows bright red berries, wild herbs, and baking spice, with fine tannins and a fresh, zesty palate. Aged 15–16 months in large oak foudres and bottled unfined, this wine is made for early enjoyment but can also develop nicely over a few years.
Jamessuckling.com | JS 94
Published: Apr 9, 2024
This is a stunning, well-balanced and crunchy Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Fresh and precise. It shows notes of red berries, cherries, bay leaves, wild herbs and baking spices. Medium- to full-bodied with fine tannins. It has a bright center-palate with freshness and harmony. It's vibrant and zesty with a similar long finish. Drink or hold.
The Wine Advocate | RP 91
Published: Sep 29, 2023
Drink: 2023-2030
The plump, succulent 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme offers cheerful strawberry, raspberry and redcurrant fruit. It's medium to full-bodied, silky and elegant, offering plenty of near-term enjoyment. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
The heart of the expanding Brunier family empire, this is one of the best-known estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, thanks to the family's obsession with quality and the long-term association with pioneering American importer Kermit Lynch.
Other Brunier properties in the region include Clos la Roquête and Piedlong, listed separately but also tasted at Vieux Télégraphe with the gracious Daniel Brunier. The previous summer had not been kind to Vieux Télégraphe, as a violent, tornadic hailstorm struck la Crau the night of August 14-15, 2022.
"It was an incredible tornado," said Brunier. "It destroyed everything in 15 minutes."
All of the fruit that was left subsequently went into the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme—there are no Vieux Télégraphe La Crau bottlings from 2022. "There was a big mistral after the hail," said Brunier, which allowed the damaged grapes to dry up without spreading rot to anything that was spared. "We ended up picking about four or five hectoliters per hectare from La Crau," said Brunier. "There were so few grapes, we picked 80 hectares in five days."
Yet all wasn't somber at Vieux Télégraphe. Brunier quite likes the 2021 vintage, characterizing it as, "a fine, elegant, balanced year. Compared to 2020, it was a bit more normal, with some rain during harvest, which was important for the style of the wine. Generally, speaking, I like the 'lightness' of the vintage. I believe in this kind of vintage. We have a classic V.T."
The 2021 V.T. is a solid effort, in line with the family's recent efforts to get more elegance in their wines. And the white wine shouldn't be overlooked, either.
Vieux-telegraphe.fr
Vieux Telegraphe's second-label Chateauneuf-duPape red, made with the grapes of young vines under 30 years old, plus older parcels not located on the Plateaux of La Crau or Piedlong.
AREA: 75 acres.
GRAPE VARIETIES: 80% Grenache Noir, 10% Syrah, 6% Mourvedre and 4% Cinsault.
VINE AGE: 40 years on average.
VINIFICATION: grapes are hand-picked, with double sorting at the vine, then a third sorting in the winery. They are destemmed, followed by 25-30 days? traditional fermentation in temperature controlled vats. Pneumatic pressing, then systematic malolactic fermentation.
MATURATION: 15-16 months in French oak foudres (30-60 hl). Bottled without filtration or fining, released at 18 months.
PERSONALITY AND AGEING: a Chateau du Pape seriously dominated by Grenache, which confers very singular suppleness and roundness. Best savoured young.
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 17C.
AVAILABLE SIZES: 75 cl, half-bt, magnum, jeroboam (3 l).
OUTPUT POTENTIAL: equivalent of 120,000 75 cl bts.
