La Crau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend

The 2007 Vieux Telegraphe, enjoyed here from half bottle, encapsulates everything so wonderful about Chateauneuf-du-Pape, coming from very old vines on the fabled plateau of La Crau. Pungent aromatics; an ethereal cacophony of sweet cranberry, blackcurrant, strawberry, liquorice, blood orange, white pepper and garrigue (in spades), with airy elegance and poise. The palate follows in much the same style, graceful and welcoming, adding flecks of sweet vanilla. There is, however, a core of iron and solid structure that ties everything together. This is accomplished stuff, even in such a brilliant vintage as 2007, and this elegant, complex CNdP warrants a high score – and further ageing.

Out of mag. Aged well; smooth red fruit.

#AgedWineTuesday

Beautiful ruby in color, with a very wide reddish rim. Bricking at the very top.

Light nose with red and black fruits, light cedar and tobacco leaf.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black plums, currants, cherries, earth, black coffee, oak, herbs, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, dark chocolates and black tea.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 26 year old from the great 1998 vintage in Southern Rhone is drinking beautifully now. Soft and smooth, elegant and earthy.

Not so good right out of the bottle, and needed 90 minutes of airtime to open up properly, so be patient.

Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 94 points.

Will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Showing nice complexity and good balance.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$120 (current vintage).

Brief Notes:- A medium weight red fruited savoury, earthy, bombshell of M+ intensity…a tarry note with liquorice adding to its Chateauneuf personality. An excellent example. More Burgundian than Rhone in weight and texture. Not sure further cellaring will add much but delicious right now. NB I have a bottle or two left and maybe a magnum? Must check. Had another bottle 17 weeks later on 18th May 2024 with similar notes. Pale tawny, dirty Ruby in colour - almost transparent. First aromas of tar, roses and violets. Medium bodied / red fruits, strawberries and raspberries in a savoury style.

Capitol Region Wine Collectors Club (WCC), Chateauneuf du Pape; 5 October 2023 at Café Capriccio, Albany, NY

Glossy and polished. Round and supple. Sun baked fruit. Not much in terms of getting the gears turning, but a delicious wine for simply wanting to sip delicious wine.

I took one whiff and a taste of this and remembered why I love CdP. Red and black berries, earthy, dried herbs, raspberry and coal dust. 60% Grenache; 20% Mourvèdre; 15% Syrah and 5% other permitted varieties Has depth and flavour but does it at just medium bodied. I didn’t realise I had a bottle in mid June 2023. I normally try to spread them out a bit.

Always solid. 10 years old and showing mostly dried fruit. Good spice and herbal notes.

Quite a pale crimson - a very Burgundian colour. Noticeable notes of garrigue - rosemary and thyme, also dried plum. Ultra savoury on the M+ intensity palate but quite light in palate weight, in fact probably the lightest weight CdP I’ve probably ever had. Finishing with fine dry tannins. Light and flavoursome - still very enjoyable.

#AgedWineTuesday

Beautiful color of dark ruby, with a cloudy brick rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black plums, cherries, sweet strawberries, spices, oak, licorice, chocolates, tobacco leaf, eucalyptus, earth, dark coffee and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 13 year old is drinking beautifully now. Shows exactly how you would expect it to, especially from this wonderful vintage.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Good by itself or with food. Rich yet elegant.

Good right out of the bottle, and much better after 2 hours of airtime, when tannins show up.

I've had a few different vintages of this wine, younger and older, and I find this to be at a perfect age for my palate. Nonetheless, it will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.

Wine Spectator 96 points. Wine Advocate 97 points.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$120.