2021 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf Du Pape

What makes this wine so singular and special is that the more classic vintage conditions complemented the Bruniers’ pursuit of an exquisite and refined Châteauneuf. Full of finesse and alluring notes of black cherry, eucalyptus, mint, and garrigue, this is one of the most charming young La Craus I’ve tasted in recent years. Of course, it’s still Grenache grown under a southern sun and in a soil packed full with radiating rounded river stones, so there’s plenty of structure, flavor, and succulence. But if you welcome a soulful country rouge with a little more elegance and poise than usual, you’re in for a treat.

The 2021 vintage was a cooler, more restrained year than the sun-drenched 2020, which suits Vieux Télégraphe well: the wines show more precision and freshness than is typical, with the Grenache expressing itself in bright red fruit rather than the jammy concentration you get in hotter years.

65% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% (Cinsault, Clairette, et al)