Millésimes Vieux Télégraphe Rouge 2016
VIGNERON MAGAZINE – N 48 – PRINTEMPS 2022 – JEAN-LUC BARDE
Cette année-là on fut à l’équilibre des rendements, 30 hectolitres par hectare. On a ici le témoignage du comportement sévère fu granche au bout de cinq ans avec à l’attaque des notes de jujube un peu flétri. C’est ce moment d’austérité où le fruit se rassemble, prend son escousse, c’est un instant d’évolution propre aux grands millésimes, tout sauf le déclin, juste un temps de pause en attendant son regain de vitalité. Ce sont les accents graves d’un mouvement lent des suites pour violoncelle de Bach avant les cuivres de Haendel.
LE REVUE DE VIN DE FRANCE – NOV 2019 – LA PASSION DU FRUIT, POUR LE RHÔNE MÉRIDIONAL – OLIVIER POUSSIER
Belle définition de fruit, pulpeux et précis. Des notes de fruit macérés, d’épices, un boisé subtil : la bouche se montre cossue, avec une trame concentrée en finesse, des saveurs de noyaux, de maquis. Le vin possède une belle sève. Il traversera les années.
CUISINE ET VINS DE FRANCE – SEPT/OCT 2019 – JEAN-LUC BARDE
C’est un balcon de galets roulés aveuglants qui regarde le Ventoux, les Dentelles. L’été la chaleau fait trembler l’air et les silhouettes. Pourtant, grâce au vent et aux hommes, pas une once de lourdeur, un éclat pourpre, la noble sucrosité et les épices délicates illuminent le palais, les Brunier maîtrisent leur «climat».
SOMMELIERS INTERNATIONAL – #165 – AUTOMNE 2019 – DOMAINE DU VIEUX TÉLÉGRAPHE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2016
CE QU’EN PENSENT LES SOMMELIER
La cuvée Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016 est constituée de 65% de Grenache noir, 15% de Mourvèdre, 15% de Syrah et 5% de Cinsault et de Clairette. Cette cuvée, produite à 200 000 exemplaires, a subi un élevage de 20-22 mois en foudres de chêne français de 60 hectolitres, puis mise en bouteilles sans collage ni filtration.
Robe: grenat intense aux reflets légèrement violacés.
Nez: complexe et élégant. Il s’ouvre sur une palette aromatique exceptionnelle, de fruits rouges et noirs, de garrigue, de réglisse et de poivre.
Bouche: onctueuse, ample, volumineuse. On retrouve les notes de fruits rouges, soutenues par des tannins fins et délicats. Finale longue et délicieuse.
Accord: un carré d’agneau rôti aux herbes de maquis.
Commentaire: un flacon mythique.
VINOUS – DEC 2019 – JOSH RAYNOLDS
95. Brilliant ruby. Ripe cherry and red berries on the deeply perfumed nose, along with hints of smoky minerals and potpourri. Palate-staining cherry and raspberry liqueur flavors show impressive clarity and depth, and a spine of juicy acidity provides lift and focus. Finishes extremely long and sweet, delivering solid thrust, a hint of candied flowers and suave, harmonious tannins.
Drink 2024-2034
KERMIT LYNCH WINE MERCHANT – MARCH 2019 NEWSLETTER – CHRIS SANTINI
Daniel Brunier was absolutely beside himself with anticipation last month when the subject of the 2016 Vieux Télégraphe vintage came up. “I would never use this word lightly, but 2016 is the absolute best vintage I’ve ever seen here since 1978… I loved the 2010, the 2007, there were others which gave great emotion, but 2016…” and with that he just nodded his head in disbelief. This was at a casual, home-cooked, off-the-record dinner, not at a trade or promotional event. “This vintage is so… vibrant. The rusticity of our La Crau vineyards, of the old Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is back”.
Intrigued, we went to the cellars the next day to taste. We tasted out of the casks, and indeed what was in the glass was unlike no other Châteauneuf I’ve ever experienced. The juice was luminous and bright, clearly alive and kicking. The taste was salty and spicy, herbal and airy…hardly what one would expect from this neck of the woods, yet a profile for which I believe all great southern wines can strive for, and perhaps once did strive for a few generations ago.
Four generations of Bruniers have been farming the rock covered La Crau plateau since 1891. The steady family stewardship of the land, coupled with one of the most singular terroirs of the world (the rock covered plateau where these vines grow is at points four meters deep with rock before you hit a grain of soil), along with ideal growing conditions and a winemaking approach of zero extraction, gives you…2016 Vieux Télégraphe.
JEBDUNNUCK.COM – NOV. 4, 2018
Vieux Télégraphe ambassadeur de la Vallée du Rhône dans le dernier top100 de James Suckling en 72ème place.
JAMESSUCKLING.COM – AUG. 29, 2018 – JAMES SUCKLING
98. Impressive, Complex array of wild cherries, raspberries, garrigue herbs, lightly spiced pastry and stony, chalky minerals. Super-fresh florals. The palate has superb texture, roundness, completeness, depth and detail. Powerful yet elegant with powdery tannins and essence-like red fruit. Super-fleshy, supple and dense core, then strong at the edges. Layer upon layer peels away on the finish. Resounding finesse and equilibrium, showing the full potential of the plateau La Crau. Drink of hold.
WINE ADVOCATE – #238 – JOE CZERWINSKI
96. Undoubtedly one of the top vintages of this wine, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau features classy notes of crushed stones and black tea to go along with ripe raspberries and black cherries. Full-bodied yet silky, there’s more power and richness in La Crau than in Piedlong, yet there’s commensurate elegance and finesse. The wine grows in intensity on the finish without ever seeming heavy or overripe, instead offering hints of tea and licorice.
JEBDUNNUCK.COM – AUG. 28, 2018
97. Bottled just last week, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape offers a classic, gorgeous bouquet of black raspberries, currants, violets, salty minerality, nori (seaweed wrapper) and licorice. Full-bodied, pure, incredibly elegant, with fine tannin, and a huge finish, this is classic Vieux Télégraphe all the way that has the balance to drink now.
DECANTER – Tasted by Matt WALLS (at En Primeur tastings, Rhône) 93
Lifted raspberry, raspberry leaf, strawberry and violet, with some herbal hints of sage. It has that strawberry character so distinctive of Vieux Telegraphe. It has juicy, sweet fruit, very fine tannins ans raspberry acidity. The alcohol is fairly high, but it’s otherwise well balanced.
Drinkin window 2018-2028
WINE ADVOCATE – OCT. 31, 2017 – No 233 – JOE CZERWINSKI
(94-96). In contrast to the Piedlong, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape is a darker, richer wine. Yes, there are ripe cherries but also cola, blueberries and spice. Full-bodied and rich, it should easily outdistance the 2015.
Daniel Brunier said that all of the estate’s 2016 reds are 15.5% alcohol or more, yet I didn’t find excessive heat in any of them—a testament to the richness of the wines and the balance achieved in this vintage. With similar growing seasons and yields between 2015 and 2016, Brunier says, « I don’t know where comes the differences. » The family’s joint venture with American importer Kermit Lynch, Domaine Les Pallières, is also worth a strong look.
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