Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau Rouge 2011 (1500ml)
- Vintage
- 2011
- Country
- France
- Region
- Rhone
- Size
- 1500ml
- Rating
- WA93, WS93
- Grape
- Granache,Mourvedre
Showing beautifully on this occasion, the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape reveals a bit of bricking, with hallmark notes of iodine, sweet red cherries and a delicate touch of fine leather. Medium to full-bodied and bolstered by soft tannins, it finishes long, with notes of salted licorice. I wouldn't plan on holding it much longer, but it should please those looking for a mature bottle over the next few years. Drink: 2013~2027 - WA93
Tightly coiled for now, with pepper, garrigue and briar notes wrapped around a core of steeped cherry, damson plum and blackberry fruit. Cedar and sandalwood accents line the finish, revealing a hint of blood orange. This needs some cellaring to unwind fully. Best from 2016 through 2026. - WS93
One cannot think of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the most celebrated cru of the Southern Rhone, without thinking of Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe. The Brunier family is legendary in its own right, having been rooted to the enigmatic plateau known as La Crau for over one hundred years. The wines of Vieux Telegraphe evoke the concept of terroir in its purest form: they reflect their dramatic climate, the rough terrain that defines the soil, their full sun exposure at a higher altitude, the typicity of the varietals with an emphasis on Grenache, and of course, the influence of their caretakers, the Brunier family. For many, La Crau is Chateauneuf-du-Papes grandest cru.
The AOC for Chateauneuf-du-Pape is in the Rhone Valley stretching from Orange to Avignon. Domaine Vieux Telegraphe was founded in 1895, and takes it name Vieux Telegraphe (Old Telegraph) from a rocky plateau of the Domaine where in 1792 Me. Chappe, the inventor of the optical telegraph, installed a relay tower.