VIEUX TELEGRAPHE CHAT DU PAPE LA CRAU 2020 750ML

This amazing Chateauneuf-du-Pape squares the circle of southern richness and spring-like freshness in spite of coming from a very warm and dry vintage. The stony minerality, saltiness and dried flower character wind together to form a dynamic whole, driving this gracefully across the palate. But I must also mention the savory and licorice richness that is so deftly wrapped around them. Very long, salty and velvety finish.

Full, generous and broad. Acids are bright and vibrant, and there's a fine but dense weft of tannins through the wine. Great energy and salinity this year, this is particularly fine and balanced, with plenty of concentration and a long finish. All from La Crau and fermented in tronconic wood barrels. Élevage in foudre. Oldest Grenache bunches aren't destemmed.

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape also showed well, with a lighter, elegant style that still brings plenty of intensity. Black cherries, mulberries, dried violets, and loamy earth define the bouquet, and it's medium-bodied, balanced, and finesse-driven on the palate, with ripe tannins as well as a terrific sense of salinity on the finish. Give bottles 3-4 years and enjoy over the following 15+.

The 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau was vinified from partially de-stemmed grapes and aged in foudre. The 2020 La Crau displays pronounced aromas of rose petals, redcurrant, red and black cherry, raspberry, strawberry and hints of smoke. Full-bodied, refined and built like a brick wall, it will reward bottle age.

In Châteauneuf-du-Pape, there’s one vineyard that stands above the rest: the plateau of La Crau, covered in round stones (galets roulés). Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe is the largest landowner in this coveted lieu-dit. Named for the signal tower that was used in the 18th century to telegraph messages, Vieux Télé (as it’s affectionately known) has been run by the Brunier family for six generations. Many Châteauneufs are blockbusters in power and alcohol, but the Brunier style is famously elegant and savory. Sourced from 60- to 110-year-old vines, the flagship 2020 red offers charming, old-school appeal, impressive depth and a long life ahead.

Tasted as a tank sample of the final blend, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau is a blend of approximately 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah and 5% other permitted varieties, with about 30% whole bunches used in the ferments. Marked by ripe cherries and hints of complex garrigue notes on the nose, it's full-bodied but also really elegant, with fine-grained, silky tannins, ample concentration and a long, surprisingly crisp finish.