Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 2010

Professional Ratings

• 97 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  Performing considerably better than it did prior to bottling, the 2010 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape is one of the all-time great Vieux Telegraphes I have tasted in the last 3+ decades. I believe it is even superior to the 2007, which I had several weeks ago. The 2010 boasts a dense purple color along with a sumptuous bouquet of spring flowers, boysenberries, black cherries, black currants, nori (the sushi seaweed wrapper), black olives, licorice and pepper. This full-bodied, meaty, thick, juicy effort possesses a boatload of tannin, but it also has incredible concentration. More massive than I remember from last year, it has put on considerable weight and intensity. Forget it for 3-4 years, and drink it over the following 25-30 years. Kudos to Daniel and Frederic Brunier!
• 96 Wine Spectator
  Coated with unctuous linzer torte, warm plum sauce and pure cassis fruit flavors, while notes of maduro tobacco, mint, green fig and toasted anise flitter throughout. This is lush and dense, but well-harnessed through the finish, with a mouthwatering roasted apple wood note and lingering fresh acidity. Best from 2014 through 2030.
• 94 Wine & Spirits
  La Crau, in the southeastern corner of Chateauneuf, is a high, galet-covered plateau where the Bruniers farm 173 acres. In 2010, their vines produced a decadent red with a fine-boned complexity. It feels perfectly ripe, cherry-red and firm, its succulence pointed up by the bright acidity. It also feels completely natural, with a fruity licorice spice, wildflower notes and ruddy earth tones adding details that seem to reference a particular place.