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WINE ADVOCATE – YOHAN CASTAING – DÉGUSTATION OCTOBRE 2024

2021 Vieux Telegraphe Rouge (95)

Delicate aromas of spices, licorice, garrigue, dark berries and dark cherries preface the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau, a medium to full-bodied, layered and textured Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It is framed around velvety, elegant tannins, with good depth at the core and a pure, precise texture that segues into a long, delicate and ethereal finish. Superb!

2022 Télégramme (92)

A blend of 85% Grenache and the rest of Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre, the 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Télégramme offers up aromas of flowers, dark cherries and dark wild berries, followed by a medium to full-bodied, structured and concentrated palate with velvety tannins and a long, dense finish. More austere than previous vintages, this iteration stands out as a commendable rendition within the context of the vintage.

2022 Les Pallières – Racines (94)

A dense, deep bouquet of dark cherries, flowers, spices and garrigue prefaces the 2022 Gigondas Les Racines, a medium to full-bodied, tense and perfectly balanced Gigondas with fine-grained, good depth at the core enhanced by a crystalline, delicate texture and a saline, harmonious finish. Refined, chiseled and intensely perfumed, this wine is a blend of 85% Grenache Noir (40% destemmed) and 15% Syrah and Cinsault.

2022 Les Pallières – Terrasse du Diable (93)

A blend of 90% Grenache Noir and 10% Mourvèdre, the 2022 Gigondas Terrasse du Diable from the Brunier Family (which also owns Domaine Vieux Télégraphe) reveals aromas of dark cherries, mulberries and spices mingled with delicate notes of garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, ample and enrobing, it’s velvety on attack with good depth at the core and a long, precise and delicate finish. This is a charming, beautifully executed Gigondas that promises to age gracefully over the next decade or more.

 

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WINE ADVOCATE – JOE CZERWINSKI – DÉGUSTATION LE 20 JUIN 2023

The heart of the expanding Brunier family empire, this is one of the best-known estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, thanks to the family’s obsession with quality and the long-term association with pioneering American importer Kermit Lynch. Other Brunier properties in the region include Clos la Roquête and Piedlong, listed separately but also tasted at Vieux Télégraphe with the gracious Daniel Brunier. The previous summer had not been kind to Vieux Télégraphe, as a violent, tornadic hailstorm struck la Crau the night of August 14-15, 2022. « It was an incredible tornado, » said Brunier. « It destroyed everything in 15 minutes. » All of the fruit that was left subsequently went into the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme—there are no Vieux Télégraphe La Crau bottlings from 2022. « There was a big mistral after the hail, » said Brunier, which allowed the damaged grapes to dry up without spreading rot to anything that was spared. « We ended up picking about four or five hectoliters per hectare from La Crau, » said Brunier. « There were so few grapes, we picked 80 hectares in five days. » Yet all wasn’t somber at Vieux Télégraphe. Brunier quite likes the 2021 vintage, characterizing it as, « a fine, elegant, balanced year. Compared to 2020, it was a bit more normal, with some rain during harvest, which was important for the style of the wine. Generally, speaking, I like the ‘lightness’ of the vintage. I believe in this kind of vintage. We have a classic V.T. » The 2021 V.T. is a solid effort, in line with the family’s recent efforts to get more elegance in their wines. And the white wine shouldn’t be overlooked, either. For more details on Clos la Roquête and Piedlong, please see those listings.2020 Vieux Télégraphe – (93-95)

 

2021 Vieux Télégraphe – (92-94)

Still in tank when I visited in June 2023, the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau features scents of crushed stone accenting ripe cherries and  hints of garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, it offers taut acids allied to silky tannins and ample length on the finish. It’s not a huge blockbuster, but it fits nicely with the Brunier family’s evolution toward more elegance in their wines. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.

 

2022 Piedlong – (94-96)

Taking its name from a lieu-dit, Piedlong is a Brunier family project focused on Grenache Noir from sandy soils, in contrast to the galets roulés that characterize the La Crau bottling from Vieux Télégraphe. The usual blend is 90% Grenache from le Pied Long and 10% Mourvèdre from Pignan. This is a lighter-hued, more ephemeral expression of Grenache and CdP, yet it’s one that can still possess ample aging potential. The 2021 is particularly successful in a challenging vintage, even if it is more of an early-drinker.

A superb effort, Piedlong’s 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape is the same blend as typical—90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre—but a step up in quality compared to the 2021. From sandy soils, it delivers delicate florals, alpine strawberries and garrigue-like notes, while being full-bodied, ripe and round in the mouth. Silky, with bright acids, it finishes long, spicy and zesty. Impressive.

 

2021 Piedlong – (92-94)

Tasted just prior to bottling, Piedlong’s 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape is a blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre from the lieu-dit of the same name. Scents of roses, red berries and citrus zest appear on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is silky and elegant, with a hint of cracked pepper on the lingering finish.

 

2021 Vieux Télégraphe blanc – 93

Bottled just one week before my 2022 visit, the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc was showing no ill effects then and confirmed its quality when I retasted it in June 2023. Effusive notes of citrus, white peach and pineapple burst from the glass, while in the mouth, the wine is medium to full-bodied, plump and rounded, with a silky feel and a charming note of fennel on the lingering, refreshing finish. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.

 

2022 Clos Roquète – (92-94)

Roughly one-third each Clairette, Grenache and Roussanne, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc was still awaiting bottling at the end of June 2023. Hints of honey accent ripe pineapple aromas in this medium to full-bodied wine, which is plump and round in the mouth, yet it finishes bright and zesty, with ample citrusy length.

 

2021 Clos Roquète – 92

The 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a rather zesty and crisp style with scents of lime and pink grapefruit on the nose. Just medium-bodied, it’s plump and round, showing some lees influence, then clean, refreshing and long, showing excellent intensity and a distinctive character. Tasted twice, with consistent notes..

 

2022 Télégramme – (91-94)

Showing more concentration and intensity than normal, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme also delivers strawberry and cherry notes. It’s medium to full-bodied, with ample tannin and length. I’m sure the quality of this cuvée is scant consolation for the complete loss of the family’s La Crau bottling to hail, but customers should recognize the Bruniers’ efforts to maintain their high standards.

 

2021 Télégramme – 91

The plump, succulent 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme offers cheerful strawberry, raspberry and redcurrant fruit. It’s medium to full-bodied, silky and elegant, offering plenty of near-term enjoyment. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.

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ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE – JOE CZERWINSKI – DÉGUSTATION SEPT. 2021

I arrived at VT during the 2021 harvest; they hadn’t picked the previous two days, waiting for the vineyards to dry out a bit after the second of two rain events. « You can’t have two storms like this without having some effect on structure and concentration, » said Daniel Brunier. « Here, at least, we had no [spring] frost, but we lost 80% in the Ventoux. » Although I tasted those wines during this visit, the Famille Brunier wines from other appellations will be covered in the next installment of Southern Rhône coverage. Piedlong is still listed here, while Clos la Roquete has its own listing, basically since that’s the way they’ve long been listed in our database. Going forward, those, too, will be listed under the Famille Brunier umbrella. Looking at the 2019s and 2020s from this historic estate in quick succession, the differences between the vintages were readily apparent, with the 2019s being darker-fruited and perhaps a bit more structured. « The vintages are brothers, » said Brunier. « The tannins in ’19 are a bit more dry. It’s rare to have two vintages together that are so similar. The differences are there, but not that much. The biggest difference is in the tannin structure. « The 2020 vintage was very dry until the end—maybe a bit too dry—but the rains in November and December 2019 helped, and the low yield means you don’t see the dryness, because the vines didn’t suffer. Harvest began August 22 or 23, and we finished on September 19. The fruit was so clean, the weather so dry, it was easy to pick. » A visit to Vieux Telegraphe also means a chance to revisit past vintages, so Brunier opened bottles of the 2011 and 2001. « Arriving after 2010, which was great, I don’t have a good memory of that vintage [2011], » said Brunier. But the wine showed well, mature and nicely evolved yet still offering a few more years of drinkability. Of 2001, Brunier remarked, « It was a normal summer, normal rain at normal times, with no big, defining feature. But this is the kind of vintage I can drink a bottle by myself. It’s not a big vintage by the numbers, but it has aged well because it is balanced. » Amen to that.

 

2020 Vieux Télégraphe – (93-95)

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.

 

2011 Vieux Télégraphe – 93

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.

 

2001 Vieux Télégraphe – 95

Showing a bit of brick at the rim, Vieux Telegraphe’s 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape remains a wonderfully complex, vibrant wine. Marked by scents of pressed flowers, a hint of button mushrooms and plenty of cherry-raspberry fruit, it’s medium to full-bodied and silky textured, finishing long and complex.

 

2019 Vieux Télégraphe – 96+

The 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau is a hugely successful vintage, marked by scents of sun-warmed stones, garrigue, black cherries and black olives. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it finishes with tremendous length and softly dusty tannins, which should help ensure a long, positive evolution.

 

2020 Piedlong – (94-96)

The 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Piedlong is 90% Grenache from the lieu-dit le Pied Long (sometimes written as one word), plus 10% Mourvèdre from Pignan, so sandy soils—in contrast to Vieux Telegraph’s preponderance of la Crau’s galets roulés. At 50% whole bunches, it’s a bit stemmy and herbal but also soaring and gorgeous on the nose, with scents of roses, menthol, cherries and raspberries. Full-bodied but airy in feel and silky in texture, with a long, lingering finish, it looks to be pretty special this vintage.

 

2019 Piedlong – 95

From largely sandy soils, and composed of 90% Grenache (the other 10% is Mourvèdre from the Pignan lieu-dit, also sandy), the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Piedlong delivers scents of black cherries and ripe plums, tinged with hints of menthol and green stemminess. Give it a couple of years in the cellar, and it should be singing, as it’s full-bodied, rich and velvety, while remaining long, vibrant and mouthwatering on the finish.

 

2020 Vieux Télégraphe blanc – 93

Coming from a single parcel of 50- to 55-year-old vines in la Crau, Vieux Telegraph’s 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a blend of roughly 45% Clairette and 30% Grenache Blanc, with the balance split equally between Roussanne and Bourboulenc. Two-thirds were matured in foudre, with the other third matured in demi-muids, leading to a slightly honeyed nose with hints of toasted grain and gently warmed pineapple. It’s full-bodied and creamy, balanced by a hint of bitterness on the long finish.

 

2019 Vieux Télégraphe blanc – 93

Hitting on all cylinders, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc boasts enchanting aromas of toasted grain, honeyed pears and ripe pineapple, with what seems like a bit of mocha or struck match as well. It’s full-bodied, on the rich, corpulent side, but not overdone, remaining clean and citrusy-fresh on the lengthy finish.

 

2020 Clos Roquète – 92

From 40-year-old vines on sandy soils, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a blend of Clairette, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, matured in demi-muids and foudres. Hints of honey, toasted grain and ripe pineapple appear on the nose, while the medium-bodied palate is clean, fresh and citrusy, finishing with an appealingly silky texture and ample length.

 

2019 Clos Roquète – 93

A blend of Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc features notes of honey, wood spice (it’s matured in foudres and demi-muids) and pineapple. Full-bodied, rich and expansive without being heavy, it finishes with hints of citrus, a slightly chalky feel and plenty of length.

 

2020 Télégramme – (91-93)

Comprising old vines not from la Crau or le Pied Long (two years ago, the Bruniers purchased eight hectares of 60-year-old Grenache, specifically for this cuvée) and young vines from those lieux-dits, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme delivers pretty notions of strawberries and raspberries, plus just a hint of chocolate. Full-bodied but silky, fine and elegant, this looks like the finest wine I’ve tasted under this label—a solid wine of its own.

 

2019 Télégramme – 92

Full-bodied, rich and highly textural, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme is atypically concentrated and dense, reflecting the addition of more old-vine Grenache to the cuvée. Black cherries, salted licorice and dark chocolate all make appearances, and the wine finishes long and velvety.

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THE WINE ADVOCATE – DOMAINE LES PALLIÈRES 2017 & 2018 – JOE CZERWINSKI

Les Racines rouge 2017

93-95. Despite being riper and more concetrated than the Terrasse du Diable bottling, the 2017 Gigondas Les Racines shares a similarly edgy structure. Potent raspberry fruit is delivered on a full-bodied, richly textured palate that finishes crisp and a bit jagged. Give it a couple of years in the cellar, and it should be fine for drinking over the next 10 years.

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WINE ADVOCATE – n°238 – AUG. 31 – 2018

Early on a Saturday morning, the gracious and reflective Daniel Brunier received me at his family’s historic estate to taste through a cross section of the wines that Famille Brunier is now producing. In addition to the wines of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe (VT), the group includes wines from Le Pigeoulet, Mégaphone in Ventoux, Domaine Les Pallières in Gigondas and Clos La Roquète in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Brunier took the time during my brief visit to carefully explain why he doesn’t like to call the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Télégramme a « second wine. » This wine now includes much of the red plantings from Clos La Roquète, so maybe he has a point. But it also includes the young-vine material from VT plots, and it’s clearly not of the caliber of the main VT bottling, so draw your own conclusions. The family philosophy is to avoid selected yeasts and bacteria for malolactic fermentation, allowing the naturally occurring bugs to do their work. Proportions of stems/whole clusters varies considerably, depending on the wine, as does the élevage, although most of the wines mature in foudres. While the greatness of 2016 goes unquestioned here, Brunier called 2017, « At minimum, a very, very good vintage. We were surprised it’s so fresh and balanced. » Yields were down by about 50% from the previous year. The emphasis here is on elegance and complexity. « Grenache is fantastic when it’s not fruity. It’s easy to do extraction and big wines. It takes humbleness to do less, a confidence in the land, » Brunier said. More controversially, he concluded, « Extraction has been invented to replace terroir. »

Clos La Roquète blanc 2017                 (92-94)

Les Racines rouge 2017                       (93-95)

Terrasse du Diable rouge 2017             (91-94)

Terrasse du Diable rouge 2016             (92-94)

Vieux Télégraphe blanc 2017               (93-95)

Vieux Télégraphe blanc 2016                94

Vieux Télégraphe rouge 2017               (93-95)

Vieux Télégraphe rouge 2016               96

Piedlong rouge 2017                             (93-95)

Piedlong rouge 2016                             (94-96)

Télégramme rouge 2017                       (90-92)

Télégramme rouge 2016                       91

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SOUTHERN RHONE

WINE ADVOCATE – Date de parution : 31 OCT 2010 – Auteur : ROBERT PARKER

2009 Pigeoulet red
Bistros, brasseries and consumers looking for an easygoing, quaffing wine should check out the Brunier’s Le Pigeoulet, which Daniel Brunier calls a ‘retro’ style of wine (meaning that in the age of power and generosity, this is a lighter, more elegant, fruity, earthy effort meant for immediate consumption). The 2008 and 2009 vintage are cut from the same mold, with the 209 being slightly deeper, with riper fruit. This 5,000 cs cuvee offers considerable value. 85

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