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.