Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau Rouge 2006
- Vintage
- 2006
- Country
- France
- Region
- Rhone
- Size
- 750ml
- Rating
- WA94, WS93
- Grape
- Granache,Mourvedre
One of the more youthful wines in the retrospective, the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau from the Brunier brothers is a head-turner. Possessing the ever present seaweed/nori character that I almost always find in this cuvee, it has a beautiful core of currants, crushed rocks, tapenade and licorice-like aromas and flavors. Made from 65% Grenache, 15% each of Mourvèdre and Syrah, and the balance Cinsault—all from the famed La Crau lieu-dit—this is as traditional and classic Chateauneuf du Pape as you can get. It’s a gorgeous wine that has another 10-15 years of longevity. Drink: 2016~2031 - WA94
A very grippy style, with lots of sweet tapenade, tobacco, hot stone and braised chestnut notes weaving through a core of dark currant and fig fruit. There's a nice twinge of lavender on the structured finish. For the cellar. Best from 2010 through 2028. - 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.