Benchmark Chateauneuf-du-Pape from La Crau

Vieux Telegraphe's vines are mainly sited on the wind-swept and pudding stone-strewn plateau of La Crau, one of Chateauneuf-du-Pape's most feted terroirs.
The blend is mostly Grenache, but a healthy dollop of both Syrah and Mourvedre gives these wines a great lift and much complexity.
Brothers Daniel and Frederic Brunier are the inspirational hands on the tiller and have been improving both the vineyards and the cellar.
They believe in the long term and the new cellars were impressive enough when incomplete and empty. Now they're in operation they contribute much to wine quality.

For Daniel, 2005 is an interesting vintage, 'fresh,' he says, 'with the richness of 2005 and the delicacy of 2004.'
It is also a lovely vintage for Telegramme, which the brothers have been working hard to improve over the past few years.
It offers more than a glimpse of its big sibling, but at half the price, making it one of the best values in the appellation. /CW