Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape "La Crau" 2020
(Southern Rhone, France) - [JS 97] [DM 96] [WS 94, #7 Top 100 of 2024] [VM 94] [JD 94] [WA 93-95]

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About the Domaine:
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe has been run by the Brunier family, for six generations - since 1891 to be precise. The estate’s vineyards, 60 years old on average, are planted on the celebrated Plateau of La Crau, a site renowned for grape-growing in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This terroir imparts to their wines a highly distinctive minerality, as if they have been filtered through the thick layer of large pebbles left behind when the Alpine glaciers melted, long before the Rhône Valley formed.

Notes from the Winemaker:
A classic red Châteauneuf-du-Pape, very fine and elegant. The best vintages will age for 25 years and more.

Technical Information

LOCATION: the stony Plateau de la Crau, in the south-east of the appellation, where the villages of Bédarrides, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Courthézon meet.
AREA: 123.5 acres.
SOIL AND SUBSOIL: molasse from the Miocene epoch (1-1.5m in depth) sitting on a thick layer of clay with high stone content, and covered by the pebble blanket of Alpine diluvium generally known as “galets roulés”.
GRAPE VARIETIES: 65% Grenache Noir, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, Cinsault, Clairette and sundry others 5%.
VINE AGE: 70 years on average.
VINIFICATION: grapes are hand-picked, with double sorting at the vine, then a third sorting in the winery. Gentle pressing and selective destemming, followed by 30-40 days’ traditional fermentation in temperature–controlled stainless-steel and wooden vats. Pneumatic pressing, then systematic malolactic fermentation.
MATURATION: 20-22 months in French oak foudres (60hl). Bottled unfined and unfiltered, then released at 2 years.
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 17°C.

97 Points - James Suckling:
“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. Drink or hold.” (Apr 2023)

96 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"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." - Matt Walls (Oct 2021)

94 Points & Rank #7, Top 100 of 2024 - Wine Spectator:
"This shows a lot of aromatic appeal, with dusty earth and singed incense notes covering a well of fresh cherry and red currant flavors. A gutsy, grippy style on the palate, with a cast iron spine bringing firm shape and underlying power. Slightly old-school, this still needs time to unfurl. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault. Best from 2025 through 2035. 7,500 cases made, 2,500 cases imported.” – KB (Mar 2024)

94 Points - Vinous Media:
“The 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau was vinified from partially de-stemmed grapes and aged in foudres. 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.” – Nicolas Greinacher (June 2023)

94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"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+.” (Nov 2022)

93-95 Points - Wine Advocate:
"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.” – Joe Czerwinski (May 2022)