Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau Blanc 2021
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Suckling
James -
Spectator
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Parker
Robert - Vinous
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
A member of the classic school of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape: more floral than fruity aromas, and characterized by balance and freshness.
Blend: 40% Clairette, 25% Grenache Blanc, 25% Roussane, 10% Bourboulenc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Stunningly complex nose of dried flowers, beeswax and candied citrus peel. However, the interplay of richness and freshness on the palate tops it. Extremely long finish where the fine tannins build and build at the salty climax. A cuvee based on clairette with grenache blanc, roussanne and a little bourboulenc. Some of the vines date back more than a century, but the majority are about 40-50 years old. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Full and broad, with a well-structured framework for the green plum and citrus cream flavors, while subtle fleur de sel and buttercream notes stream along. The texture starts out glycerol smooth, then is propped up by chalky, slightly bitter tannins to pleasing effect. Fresh, with good intensity and balance through the powerful finish. This has a long life ahead in the cellar. Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc and Roussanne.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
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Vinous
The 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc La Crau is made from Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc. It presents lively aromas of grapefruit, spring flowers, white peach and a pinch of mango. This medium-bodied wine hits the palate with excellent flavor concentration and crisp acidity, finishing bright and juicy.
Other Vintages
2020-
Suckling
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Spectator
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Parker
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Dunnuck
Jeb - Vinous
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Dunnuck
Jeb - Vinous
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Wine - Vinous
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Suckling
James -
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Robert
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Dunnuck
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Robert - Decanter
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Robert
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Robert
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Wine
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Robert
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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.
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
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.