2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe
Only about five percent of the wine produced in Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white, making this bottling a rare and beloved treat for its unique point of view in a sea of reds. The Clairette-based 2023 vintage is among the freshest in memory and one of the most complex whites on our shelves. Gone are the days when I crave only austere white wines! The silkiness and richness of a bit of flesh, the honeyed notes—it’s a dream for the senses.
—Jane Augustine
| Wine Type: | white |
| Vintage: | 2023 |
| Bottle Size: | 750mL |
| Blend: | 40% Clairette, 30% Grenache Blanc, 15% Bourboulenc, 15% Roussanne |
| Appellation: | Châteauneuf-du-Pape |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Southern Rhône |
| Producer: | Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe |
| Winemaker: | Frédéric & Daniel Brunier |
| Vineyard: | 40 years average, 5 ha |
| Soil: | Alluvial deposits, Limestone, Silica, and Molasse (red clay) with galets roulés |
| Aging: | Wine rests in cement tank for 10 months, and then ages for another 12 months in foudres |
| Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
| Alcohol: | 14% |
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About The Producer
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe
One cannot think of Châteauneuf-du-Pape without thinking of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. The Brunier family is legendary in its own right, having been rooted to the plateau known as La Crau for over a century. The wines of Vieux Télégraphe evoke terroir in its purest form, reflecting the dramatic climate, the rough terrain, the sun exposure at a high altitude, the typicity of the varietals, and of course, the influence of their caretakers, the Brunier family. For many, La Crau is Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s grandest cru. The wines of V.T. are classic, displaying strength, rusticity, and tremendous longevity. Their goal is to find a harmony between aromatic complexity, tannic structure, and richness, which they achieve year after year.
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch