Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe has been run by the Brunier family for six generations - since 1891 to be precise. The estate's vineyards, 60 years old on average, are planted on the celebrated Plateau of La Crau, a site renowned for grape-growing in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This terroir imparts to our wines a highly distinctive minerality, as if they have been filtered through the thick layer of large pebbles left behind when the Alpine glaciers melted, long before the Rhône Valley formed.

Their philosophy? Organic-raisonné and sustainable grape-growing. Whether their team of vignerons are labouring on the hot Plateau of La Crau, in the lieux-dits of Pignan, La Roquète and Piedlong, or on the cold steep slopes in the district of Les Pallières, they are driven all year round by the conviction that the grapes should be able to thrive and be picked in the best possible conditions.

Fine fruit is essential for a fine vintage. To achieve this, they are quick to tailor each task to each parcel of vines: for instance, pruning, the spreading of organic manure and traditional ploughing are winter chores that may seem straightforward at first glance, but in fact demand great care. In springtime and summer, the same applies for the debudding, done by hand, and the removal of surplus unripe grapes and surplus leaves; balance is everything, and practically each vine enjoys its own.

A member of the classic school of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape: more floral than fruit driven aromas, characterised by balance and freshness. It might dip in form between four and eight years, but the best vintages age as well as the reds.

Clairette (45%), Grenache Blanc (30%), Roussanne (15%) and Bourboulenc (10%).

"One of my favorite whites from the south of France is Daniel Brunier's Châteaneuf du Pape Blanc and his 2019 is another stunning effort. Always a blend of Clairette, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Bourboulenc brought up in foudre, this beauty boasts and exotic nose of honeyed peach, quince, crushed citrus, and salty minerality, all with a floral edge. Medium to full-bodied on the palate with flawless balance and beautifully integrate acidity, enjoy this concentrated white anytime over the coming 15-20 years.
95 points, Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com (October 2020)