Vieux Télégraphe

These wines are very popular with wine lovers, extremely tasty, fruity and dense, made mainly from Grenache, using biodynamic methods. "Domaine Gramenon, created in 1978, is located in Montbrison-sur-Lez in the Drôme Provençale, in the foothills of the Pre-Alps, at an altitude of 350 metres. In the northernmost part of the southern Côtes du Rhône. The originality of the Gramenon terroir comes from the limestone bar (tidal system) formerly covered by the sea (86 million years ago). The thrust of the Alps has caused a large amount of limestone to emerge from the layers of sand left by the tides, thus forming a plateau 550 m wide and with a slight altitude, while the clays have been brought in by the river system. Grenache is the grape variety best acclimatised to our latitudes, expressing itself here in elegance and freshness. Proof of this is the presence of numerous plots of old vines (from 50 to 120 years old). The cumulative influence of the age of the vines (and therefore of the deep roots) and the specific character of the soils, gives the wines a particular and original profile. In order to perpetuate the exceptional quality of the plant heritage, each vine planted comes from the estate's own massal selection. Since the creation in 1978, the vines have been cultivated in a natural and organic way. Nevertheless, the need to move towards biodynamic viticulture was felt. The first climatic accidents of the 2000s having impacted the vitality of the old vines, we started biodynamic practices and the Demeter certification arrived in 2010. The dynamisation of the soil and the strengthening of the plant's defences were immediate and very convincing. There is a new energy in the plots. This increased vitality at the plot level is reflected in the quality of the wines. The choice of harvest date is a crucial and determining point. The intrinsic quality of the grapes can only be expressed when they are truly ripe. The harvest is exclusively manual with careful sorting. The main idea is to respect the grapes as much as possible. To achieve this, no crushing equipment is used (pomace pump, auger). The grapes are transported by vibrating table and conveyor belt to the concrete tanks. We only sulphite very lightly after the malolactic fermentation if necessary. The wine is matured in vats for the Spring vintages and in old barrels for the old vines. Purity being the always unattainable and utopian goal of history, we strive to express the terroir and the grapes as closely as possible, while avoiding betraying them, by adapting to the effects of the vintage

The Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, owned by the Brunier family, is one of the most emblematic Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Located on the particularly warm pebble plateau of La Crau, in Bédarrides, the spearhead of the Brunier vineyards is established on 70 hectares (of which 5 are white) on the famous terroir of rolled pebbles.

Like many other estates in the appellation, it gives pride of place to the Grenache grape variety, which expresses itself very favourably on the poor soils of La Crau. It is skilfully complemented by Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise, Cinsault, Clairette, Roussane, Bourboulenc, Picpoul and white Grenache to harmonise, balance and give Vieux Télégraphe an aromatic complexity worthy of its reputation.

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A double sorting of the grapes is practised in order to guarantee an optimal maturity of the grapes.
The wine culture, even if the domain does not have a green label, is ultra reasoned with a drastic will to have no residue in the wines as well as a minimal pollution outside.

Whether in the vineyard or in the cellar, everything is done to bring out the best in each vintage in the spirit of the Vieux Télégraphe, to bring out all the richness of the terroir, which is truly exceptional. With little or no de-stemming and aged in old tuns, Vieux Télégraphe often requires a long ageing period to give its full measure and to transcribe all the minerality of the terroir.

The Brunier family also owns the Pallière estate, the Massaya estate in Lebanon and the little-known Roquète estate, which produces a Châteauneuf-du-Pape called Piedlong, of a very high standard, praised by Bettane et Desseauve and La Revue du Vin de France, among others, with scores bordering on perfection... An estate whose objective is to extract the quintessence of old Grenache with a blend of 90% Grenache 70 years old and 10% Mourvèdre over 50 years old from the Pignan sector!

The result is a Piedlong cuvée with a depth and elegance worthy of the greatest Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

A domain to be followed very closely...