Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape Telegramme 2016
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
A Chateauneuf-du-Pape seriously dominated by Grenache, which confers very singular suppleness and roundness.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Very complex and composed. Bright aromas of wild, red-berries and herbs. Some blueberry pastry, too. Plush, ripe and concentrated palate with long, smooth, ripe and powerful tannins. Great depth and detail. Fresh, red-berry and plum flavors run riot on the finish. Drink or hold.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Bottled in April (which is always earlier than the other two Châteauneuf-du-Papes from this estate), the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Télégramme has real depth and richness as well as terrific notes of black raspberries, crushed rocks, salty, licorice, pepper, crushed flowers, and toasted spices. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, with plenty of tannins hiding under its fruit, it's an ideal wine for readers looking to see a hint of the style of this estate. It will keep for over a decade as well.
-
Wine & Spirits
Télégramme is the Brunier brothers’ “second” label, based on the fruit of the estate’s young vines. “Young” is a relative term, though: The vines that contribute to this blend average 35 years in age and come from some of the appellation’s most esteemed parcels, such as La Crau and Pignan. The result is a wine that wins on its immediately appealing juicy cherry fruit as well as its complexity, with notes of dried herbs and earth giving it substance and detail. At about half the price of the estate’s fl agship wine, it’s a terrifi c buy.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Boasting silky tannins, strawberry-raspberry fruit and delicate herbal shadings, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme isn't hugely rich or concentrated, but it is harmonious and graceful. Bottled in March 2018, it's immediately approachable yet capable of providing pleasure over the next 5-7 years.
Other Vintages
2021- Vinous
-
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
One cannot think of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the most celebrated cru of the Southern Rhône, without thinking of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. The Brunier family is legendary in its own right, having been rooted to the enigmatic plateau known as “La Crau” for over one hundred years. The wines of Vieux Télégraphe evoke the concept of terroir in its purest form: they reflect their dramatic climate, the rough terrain that defines the soil, their full sun exposure at a higher altitude, the typicity of the varietals with an emphasis on Grenache, and of course, the influence of their caretakers, the Brunier family. For many, La Crau is Chateauneuf-du-Pape’s grandest cru.
The AOC for Chateauneuf-du-Pape is in the Rhone Valley stretching from Orange to Avignon. Domaine Vieux Telegraphe was founded in 1895, and takes it name Vieux Telegraphe (Old Telegraph) from a rocky plateau of the Domaine where in 1792 Me. Chappe, the inventor of the optical telegraph, installed a relay tower.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.
According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.
Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.
The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.