Exposed to all the vagaries of sun, hail and the fierce Mistral wind, entirely covered with the rounded stones left by departing glaciers, the La Crau plateau is one of the most extreme locations in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It is so high that it was once the site of a telegraph station ferrying messages between Paris and Marseille. The vines hug the ground, and if you have visited in February during a strong Mistral, you will understand why. But this unforgiving site also brings forth one of the region’s most refined and elegant wines - Vieux Telegraphe.

The Brunier family have been making wine here since the 1890s, when a farsighted ancestor first laid out vineyards. In the generations since, they have accumulated a wealth of old vine stock, now averaging 70 years of age. Current winemaker Daniel Brunier likes to say that his two main goals are, first, to make a wine about terroir and vintage (and not about the cellar); and second, tannins as fine as possible. That explains the silky style that is part of Vieux Telegraphe’s attraction. It is a reference that every wine lover should be familiar with. (NT 18/08/23)