Nouvelle recherche

Les médias parlent de nous Médias logo_jeb_dunnuck

JEB DUNNUCK – DÉGUSTATION DÉCEMBRE 2024

Les Pallières Racines 2022

(94) The 2022 Gigondas Racines (75% Grenache and the rest Syrah and Cinsault) was mostly destemmed and spent 14 months in foudre. Coming from slightly lower elevation parcels (just beside the estate) and older vines, it’s slightly deeper ruby-hued and has a meaty bouquet of black cherries, melted licorice, tapenade, and peppery garrigue. This carries to a more structured, medium to full-bodied, concentrated Gigondas that’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age.

Les Pallières Terrasse Du Diable 2022

(93) A great vintage for this cuvée, the 2022 Gigondas Terrasse Du Diable comes from higher elevation sites and pure limestone soils. (It’s mostly Grenache.) Rocking levels of kirsch, ripe cherries, chalky minerality, melted licorice, and white flowers all define the aromatics, and it’s medium to full-bodied, has a round, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. It’s one hell of a sexy, ripe, impossible-to-resist Gigondas.

Les Pallières Terrasse du Diable 2023

(90-92) Due to the tiny yields, there won’t be a Racines, but the 2023 Gigondas Terrasse Du Diable offers a solid ruby hue to go with a deeper, richer nose of black cherries, roasted garrigue, licorice, and crushed stone. It’s medium-bodied and has a supple, elegant mouthfeel and outstanding length.

JEB DUNNUCK – DÉGUSTATION OCTOBRE 2024

2023 Pigeoulet Rouge

Not yet bottled, the 2023 Vaucluse Pigeoulet has a pretty, perfumed nose of red fruits, sappy herbs, pine, and pepper. It’s lively, medium-bodied, elegant, and juicy.

2022 Télégramme (91)

The only wine produced in the vintage due to the devastating tornado just before the harvest, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Télégramme seems to be a mix of a normal Vieux Télégraphe and a Télégramme. Black raspberries, darker cherries, peppery garrigue, and a Grand Vin sense of salty minerality define the aromatics, and it’s medium-bodied on the palate, has rock-solid ripeness, plenty of tannins, and outstanding length. It doesn’t have the elegance of the Grand Vin in its tannins, but it’s clearly a beautiful Télégramme.

2023 Télégramme (91-93)

Tasted as a final blend, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Télégramme is classic stuff all the way, offering beautiful black raspberry and darker cherry fruit, medium-bodied richness, a round, layered, elegant mouthfeel, and some classic Châteauneuf du Pape peppery garrigue, violet, and lavender nuances. It’s going to drink nicely right out of the gate.

2022 Piedlong (94)

The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Piedlong comes from the pebbly soils of the Piedlong lieu-dit (although I always find a certain sandy terroir-like influence from this vineyard) and is mostly Grenache. Black raspberries, wild strawberries, spring flowers, chalky minerality, and peppery nuances all emerge from this beauty, and it’s medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a silky, elegant style. It has a kiss of Pignan-like style, and I love its overall elegance and finesse. It’s going to drink nicely over the coming 10-12 years.

2023 Piedlong (91-93)

Mostly Grenache, the medium ruby-hued 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Piedlong has a pretty nose of wild strawberries and flowers as well as some spicy, loamy earth-like nuances. It’s medium-bodied, elegant, and quite pretty on the palate, with a seamless, ethereal, Burgundy-like texture.

2022 Clos Roquète (94)

Pear, honeyed flowers, spice, and some chalky, mineral notes all define the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Clos Roquete Blanc, a beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied white that has a round, layered texture, the fresher, focused style of Clairette, and a great finish.

2023 Clos Roquète (93)

The 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Clos Roquete Blanc is slightly more fresh and focused, with beautiful stone fruits, white flowers, and mineral notes in its more medium-bodied, focused, fresh, and lively style. It has a freshness and purity that reminds me of the 2021, and it shines for its elegance and purity. It should have at least a decade of longevity.

2021 Vieux Télégraphe Blanc (97)

The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc might be one of the best examples of this white that’ I’ve tasted. Incredible pear, white flowers, salty minerality, and hints of ripe citrus define the bouquet, and it’s medium to full-bodied on the palate, has remarkable purity, flawless balance, and a great finish. A blend of Clairette, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Bourboulenc that’s brought up mostly in foudre (there’s a small part in demi-muids and barrel), it deserves 2-3 years in the cellar and will have two decades or more of overall longevity.

2023 Vieux Télégraphe Blanc (97)

The 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc stopped me in my tracks and has an incredible sense of class. Fabulous stone fruits, honeyed orange, white flowers, and a beautiful sense of minerality all define this brilliant white, and it has nicely integrated background oak, medium to full body, a pure, layered, elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. It’s a “wow” white that brings both richness and freshness. Drink bottles over the coming decade.

2023 Vieux Télégraphe (95)

The classic 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape checks in as 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, and 15% Syrah raised all in foudre. It’s another incredibly classic wine from this domaine that has beautiful red fruit (cherries, framboise) as well as a mineral-laced array of garrigue, sappy flowers, and crushed stone. With medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, elegant mouthfeel, and building tannins, it will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and have two decades of overall longevity.

DÉGUSTATION PAR JEB DUNNUCK AU DOMAINE – LE 11 NOVEMBRE 2022

VIEUX TELEGRAPHE ROUGE 2021 – 92-94

The Grand Vin is always from the heart of the La Crau lieu-dit and is 65% Grenache with the balance Mourvedre and Syrah. The 2021 saw about 30% stems and is being brought up in foudre. It has a beautiful core of red fruits (strawberries and redcurrants) as well as classic notes of crushed stone, pepper, garrigue, and sandalwood. Playing in the medium-bodied, elegant, seamless end of the spectrum, it has fine tannins and outstanding length. It’s a pretty, silky, impressive 2021 with class.

VIEUX TELEGRAPHE BLANC 2021 – 97

VIEUX TELEGRAPHE BLANC 2020 – 96

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc is showing even better today than when I tasted it last year. Pear, stone fruits, and crushed stone as well as a kiss of black licorice emerge on the nose, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a great mid-palate, flawless balance, and a wonderful sense of freshness and purity. Give bottles another year or two, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 15+ years.

VIEUX TELEGRAPHE ROUGE 2020 – 94

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+.

CLOS ROQUETE 2021 – 94

I always love this white, and the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc Clos Roquete Blanc is no exception. Pure, clean, and elegant, with medium-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe lemon, honeysuckle, and white flowers, it has a pretty, seamless, impeccably balanced profile and is already impossible to resist.

PIEDLONG 2021 – 90-92

The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Piedlong comes from a site in the center of the appellation and is mostly Grenache. It’s another pretty, elegant wine from this estate and has a floral character as well as notes of ripe cherries, darker strawberries, spice, and garrigue. It has fine tannins, good balance, and outstanding length.

PIEDLONG 2020 – 93

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Piedlong is lighter ruby-hued, and despite coming from pebbly soils, I would have guessed it came from a sandy terroir if tasted blind. Strawberries, cherries, white flowers, and a touch of chalky minerality define the nose, and it’s medium-bodied and finesse-driven on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins. Readers that love a more Burgundian style in their Châteauneuf du Pape should seek this puppy out.

TELEGRAMME 2021 – 89-91

Production was down 30% due to frost, but the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Télégramme is solid, with a medium-bodied, fresh, and lively style as well as attractive darker berry fruits, peppery herbs, and a kiss of minerality. It’s an elegant, balanced wine that will drink nicely for 5-7 years, probably longer.

TELEGRAMME 2020 – 92

Leading off the 2020s now from bottle, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Télégramme is round, expansive, and has plenty of volume, with medium-bodied aromas and flavors of red and black fruits, ground pepper, and Provençal garrigue. It’s balanced, has ripe tannins, brings plenty of fruit and intensity, and is perfect for drinking over the coming decade.

PIGEOULET ROUGE 2021 – 87-88

Mostly Grenache yet with more Carignan due to frost, the 2021 Vaucluse Le Pigeoulet has a charming, forward, delicious, and ready-to go-style as well as classic peppery dark fruits, violets, and hints of flowers. It will be a rock-solid daily drinker.

PIGEOULET BLANC 2021 – 89

Coming from the Ventoux and Côtes Du Rhône regions, the 2021 Vaucluse Le Pigeoulet Blanc is a quality white from this estate that has crisp aromatics of sliced apple, pear, and hints of citrus. It’s medium-bodied and nicely balanced on the palate, and one heck of a house white to enjoy over the coming couple of years, if not longer.

JEB DUNNUCK – SOUTHERN RHÔNE: THE CHARMING, PROVENÇAL 2018s AND THE MOST CONCENTRATED, CLASSIC 2019s

Dégustation par Jeb Dunnuck au domaine le 6 Octobre 2020

The 2019s will be a step up over the 2018s and offer more depth, concentration, and richness, all while showing considerable purity of fruit and elegance. While the year will be known for its hot, dry summer, the region saw substantial precipitation late in 2018 as well as early in 2019. A normal spring (just under 100 millimeters of rainfall) saw a healthy fruit set and yields are up over 2018 and 2017. This early-season rainfall is essential when trying to understand the vintage.

[…]

Looking at the wines, these are inkier colored, concentrated, full-bodied wines that stays surprisingly focused and lively on the palate. Despite the hot growing season, the wines hold onto impressive aromatics, with clean, pure fruit aromas and little in the way of over-ripeness. Tannins across the board appear to be ripe, the wines have plenty of mid-palate depth, as well as length, and I found few signs of over the top wines. Quality throughout the Southern Rhône Valley also appears to be high.
I’ll review these wines in depth next year, but in short, 2019 appears to be a beautiful, possibly exceptional, vintage for the Southern Rhône and is superior to 2018.

[…]

Vieux Télégraphe – Châteaneuf-du-Pape rouge 2018

94. The flagship of the great estate is the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape and it could quite possibly be one of the longest lived wines in the 2018 vintage, which in general, is a charming, forward vintage geared for consumption in the first decade of life. Revealing a more ruby, almost translucent color as well as a greal perfume of wild strawberries, blackberries, Asian spices, peppery garrigue, and flowers, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a building, undeniable sense of minerality, plenry of mid-palate depth, and enough tannins to warrant 2-3 years or bottle age. lt has the more upfront, expressive style of the vintage yet my money is on this evolving for 15-20 years.

Vieux Télégraphe – Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc 2018

93-95+. A blend of Clairette, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Bourboulenc brought up mostly in foudre, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc offers a more crystalline style with its white peach, crushed citrus, white flower, and obvious minerality. Clean, pure, and chiseled on the palate, it has good concentration, and almost red wine-like structure, and a great finish. It’s going to age beautifully.

Télégramme – Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018

90. The quality of the entry-level cuvée from this estate has soared over the past decade and the 2018 Chàteauneuf Du Pape Télégramme is unquestionably an outstanding wine. Revealing a deep ruby/purple color as well as Provençal notes of spiced blue fruits, ground pepper, garrigue, and violets, it has medium to full-bodied richness, plenty of mid -palate depth (which can be lacking in a number of 2018s), notable balance, and just a delicious, Provençal, ready to go style. lt’s ideal for enjoying anytime over the coming 7-8 years.

Terrasses du Diable – Gigondas 2018

91-93+. Moving to the two 2019s from barrel, the 2019 Gigondas Terrasse Du Diable showed beautifully, with lots of red and blue fruits intermixed with notes of candied violets, cracked black pepper, and violets. It’s rich, medium to full-bodied, has a touch more mid-palate density than the 2018, and enough tannins to warrant a year or three of bottle age.

Racines – Gigondas 2018

92+. Slightly deeper and richer, with a more backward style, the 2018 Gigondas Les Racines reveals a deeper ruby/plum color as well as terrific notes of ripe black cherries, roasted garrigue, scorched earth, and ground pepper. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated, with plenty of underlying structure, it’s a terrific 2018 that’s going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and drink brilliantly over the following decade or more.

Vieux Télégraphe – Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge 2019

96-98. Looking at the flagship 2019 Châteauneuf du Pape from this benchmark estate, it reveals a denser ruby/purple color as well as stunning notes of smoke red and black fruits, crushed rocks, peppery garrigue, and truffly earth. Hitting the palate with full-bodied richness, it stays tight and compact on the palate, with terrific mid-palate depth, a focused, structure mouthfeel and one great finish. This is a brilliant Châteauneuf du Pape from the Brunier family that’s going to benefit from upwards of 5-7 years of bottle age and have 30+ years of overall longevity.

Piedlong – Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2019

93-95. Coming from the plateau in the center of the appellation and 90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre, the 2019 Châteauneuf du Pape Piedlong boasts a more ruby-translucent color to go with feminine, perfumed notes of wild strawberries, loamy soil, herbes de Provence, and peppery garrigue. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has terrific overall balance, some grainy, present tannins, and a great finish. This is another terrific 2019 in the making that’s going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 10-15 years.

Télégramme – Châteaneuf-du-Pape 2019

91-93+. Moving to the 2019s, these unquestionably have another level of concentration and depth over the 2018s. Starting with the 2019 Châteauneuf du Pape Télégramme, this deep purple-hued beauty boasts a great nose of both black and blue fruits, peppery herbs, and crushed stone to go with a medium to full-bodied, meaty, mouthfilling style on the palate. It’s one of the more structured vintages for this cuvée that I can recall, and it also might just be one of the best yet.

Vieux Télégraphe – Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc 2019

95. One of my favorite whites from the south of France is Daniel Brunier’s Châteaneuf du Pape Blanc and his 2019 is another stunning effort. Always a blend of Clairette, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Bourboulenc brought up in foudre, this beauty boasts and exotic nose of honeyed peach, quince, crushed citrus, and salty minerality, all with a floral edge. Medium to full-bodied on the palate with flawless balance and beautifully integrate acidity, enjoy this concentrated white anytime over the coming 15-20 years.

Clos Roquete – Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2019

95. The Domaine La Roquète releases are made by the team at Vieux Télégraphe. Lots of white flowers, honeyed melon, white peach, and quince like aromas and flavors emerge from the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Clos La Roquete Blanc and it’s medium to full-bodied, has a great sense of salty minerality, solid mid- palate fleshy, and a dry, crisp finish. This smoking good white can be drunk over the coming 10-15 years.

Pigeoulet rouge – Vin de Pays 2019

88-90. Moving to the reds and starting with the 2019 Vaucluse Le Pigeoulet, this perennial winner offers a deeper ruby/plum color as well as a great nose of jammy black and red berry fruits intermixed with lots of peppery herbs and earth. Fleshy, medium-bodied, and already delicious, enjoy this on release and over the following 3-5 years. It competes with any number of top Cotes du Rhône out there.

Pigeoulet blanc – Vin de Pays 2019

90. Starting with the 2019 Vaucluse Le Pigeoulet Blanc, this beauty is based on Grenache Blanc, Clairette, and Roussanne brought up in foudre. This light gold hued white offers a crisp bouquet of honeyed citrus, white flowers, and salty mineral-like notes. These all carry to a medium-bodied white that’s nicely balanced, has a spine of vibrant acidity, and a classy finish. It’s well worth checking out, and while I always think these are best drunk in their youth, I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see this evolve over 7-8 years given the acidity and concentration.

Mégaphone – Ventoux 2019

90-92. A step up in class and elegance, the 2019 Ventoux Megaphone checks in as 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah that’s from a single vineyard in the Ventoux appellation. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by a beautifully Provençal nose of spiced red and black fruits, peppery herbs, and flowery incense. With medium to full-bodied richness, a terrific sense of minerality, notable balance, and a lengthy finish, it’s another winner from this team that will impress for another 5-7 years.

Terrasses du Diable – Gigondas 2019

Racines – Gigondas 2019

92-94+. More black currants, blueberries, peppery garrigue, licorice and mineral notes define the 2019 Gigondas Les Racines and it’s another beautifully rich, layered, textured barrel sample from this estate that’s going to benefit from short term cellaring.

JEB DUNNUCK – SOUTHERN RHÔNE PART 2: 2017 & 2018 FROM GIGONDAS…

« To quickly summarize the two vintages reviewed here, 2017 is a terrific vintage throughout the Southern Rhône. The wines offer rich, powerful, incredibly Provençal styles that resemble more elegant examples of the 2009s or even fresher, more docused examples of the 2007s…

A step back, 2018 is nevertheless a good vintage that suffered due to an incredibly rainy winter and spring followed by a massive mildew outbreak in the spring and early summer. This was less of an issue for higher elevation, hillside regions such as Gigondas and Rasteau that see better airflow and cooler temperature. It’s also worth pointing out that the vintage improves as you move away from the Rhône River towards Mount Ventoux. Nevertheless, yields were down throughout the Souther Rhône in 2018 due to mildew…

What You Need To Know
Both 2017 and 2018 are solid vintages for the Rhône Valley, with 2017 offering exciting, Provençal, sexy wines that have plenty of density and structure, and 2018 offering more forward, soft, elegant wines that are going to be ideal for near term drinking. »

Terrasse du Diable rouge 2017

92-94+. Also not yet bottled, the 2017 Gigondas Terrasse Du Diable is rocking stuff and has a mouthwatering sense of salinity and mineratliy as well as the classic kirsch, garrigue, and peppery aromas this cuvée always possesses. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, and nicely concentrated, with ripe tannins, it’s going to keep for 15 years of more.

Les Racines rouge 2017

92-94. More blackcurrants, black cherries, earth, and leafy, peppery herb aromas emerge from the 2017 Gigondas Les Racines, which is more closed and backward yet has plenty of depth and concentration. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age.

Terrasse du Diable rouge 2018

91-93. Mostly Grenache from terraced, higher elevation sites in the Gigondas, the 2018 Gigondas Terrasse Du Diable offers a beautiful perfume of kirsch and ripe red fruits as well as loads of spice, graphite, and peppery herbs. With plenty of sweet fruit, solid mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, and beautiful finish, it has plenty of upfront appeal and will keep for over a decade.

Les Racines rouge 2018

90-92+. The 2018 Gigondas Les Racines comes from older vines and slightly deeper, more north-facing parcels around the estate. It offers darker notes of blackcurrants earth, ground pepper, truffle, and leafy herbs as well as a more concentrated, tannic style on the palate.

JEB DUNNUCK – CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2018

Télégramme rouge 2018

90-92. Including slightly less Grenache than normal, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Télégramme is the entry level wine of the estate, yet it always delivers plenty of character. Violets, ripe cherries, blue fruit hints, and ground pepper all give way to a medium to full-bodied, fruit-forward, fleshy, nicely textured 2018 that’s going to drink nicely right out of the gate.

Vieux Télégraphe blanc 2018

Vieux Télégraphe rouge 2018

93-95. The grand vin is the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape. It’s an elegant version of this cuvée, offering beautiful blueberry, raspberry, crushed violet, graphite, and crush rock-like minerality. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and balanced, it’s polished and seamless, yet has plenty of tannins as well as richness, and is going to evolve beautifully.

JEB DUNNUCK – MÉGAPHONE ET PIGEOULET 2018

Pigeoulet rouge 2018

88-90. A blend of mostly Grenache and Syrah (there are small amounts of other red varieties), the 2018 Vaucluse Le Pigeoulet offers a complex style in its kirsch, herbes de Provence, white pepper, and floral aromas and flavors. This beauty is sweetly fruited, with polished tannins, loads of charm, and a great finish.

Mégaphone rouge 2018

89-91. A blend of 66% Grenache and 33% Syrah all from a single vineyard in the Ventoux, the 2018 Ventoux Megaphone is a richer, more serious wine that offers rich black cherry and blackberry fruits as well as plenty of ground pepper and garrigue aromas and flavors. It’s rounded and has good concentration, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It’s going to keep for 7-8 years.

The 2016s (and plenty of 2017s) from the Southern Rhône – Part 1

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe is one of the old-guard estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and the Brunier brothers continue to make a very classic, age-worthy, and uncompromising style of wine that requires bottle age. The estate is in the eastern portion of the appellation and has a whopping 150 acres of prime terroir, almost all located in the famed La Crau lieu-dit, which is one of the warmer, earlier terroirs in the region. In addition to their reds, they also make a brilliant white. I’ve also included the La Roquete releases here, which are also made by this team.