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A few years ago I wrote about the grandest bottle of red wine it has been my pleasure to experience. At table with Aubert and Pamela de Villaine in Bouzeron, Aubert pulled out from his cellar a 1961 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Tasting it was a voyage not unlike listening to Pablo Casals playing the Sarabande from Bach’s Cello Suite #2, a voyage serpentine, full of unexpected turns, nooks and crannies, soul-searching, and revelations. The wine, like the music, was deep, profound, ever-changing, truly moving. It was a singular experience, and I was reminded of it when I tasted the 2010 Vieux Télégraphe for the first time last summer with the gifted Brunier brothers.Once again, I had that sensation of a voyage through an aesthetic landscape with surprising twists and turns that covers a great distance before the aftertaste subsides. This classic opens with a voluptuous aroma that gives and gives—it is striking because of its charm and floral notes. How many Châteauneufs can boast of those two traits? By the time your voyage ends, however, you are in a completely different place—deep in the heart of Vieux Télégraphe territory—which is to say big gorgeous tannins and a glorious stoniness. This vintage can compare with any of the domaine’s past vintages including 1978 and 1983. All good things must end, they say, but this stunning wine will be good for decades.