Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape Telegramme 2018
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
Wine &
Spirits
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The Chateauneuf-du-Pape Telegramme is seriously dominated by Grenache, which confers very singular suppleness and roundness.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This has a lot of red fruit, a lot of personality and a lot of brambly aromas with spicy nuances, too. The palate has a very smooth build and a deep, plum and red-fruit core, framed in long, noble and rich, ripe tannins. The immediate fleshy appeal is high. Wait for the rest. Try from 2022.
Range: 92-93 -
Wine Spectator
Bright and cheerful, showing a burst of damson plum, bitter cherry and raspberry fruit flavors liberally laced with dried lavender, warm earth and tobacco notes. The finish features light mesquite accents. Accessible now. Drink now.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The quality of the entry-level cuvée from this estate has soared over the past decade and the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Télégramme is unquestionably an outstanding wine. Revealing a deep ruby/purple color as well as Provençal notes of spiced blue fruits, ground pepper, garrigue, and violets, it has medium to full-bodied richness, plenty of mid-palate depth (which can be lacking in a number of 2018s), notable balance, and just a delicious, Provençal, ready to go style. It’s ideal for enjoying anytime over the coming 7-8 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The final blend from tank of the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme boasts delicate, floral aromas and hints of strawberries and raspberries. It's full-bodied but silky and tender, very charming, with decent length. I haven't been a huge fan of this cuvée in the past, but this is pretty darn good.
Range: 90-92 -
Wine & Spirits
VT’s second wine, blended from fruit that doesn’t make it into its La Crau bottling, this also includes grapes from other lieux-dits. The 2018 feels fresh and sunny, with juicy acidity energizing its herbal cherry fruit.
Other Vintages
2021- Vinous
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
-
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
James
Suckling -
Wine &
Spirits -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Spectator
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.