Piedlong - a Châteauneuf-du-Pape that is made mostly from very old Grenache planted on an extremely stony windswept unirrigated high plateau. A wine made according to a philosophy at once traditional (some stemmed grapes and lengthy maceration) and hands-off and aged in large barrels for two years will surely tend towards a balance of richness and elegance.

GRAPE VARIETIES: 70-year-old Grenache Noir (90%) and 50-year-old Mourvèdre (10%).

VINIFICATION: grapes are hand-picked, with double sorting at the vine and a third sorting in the winery. Gentle crushing and selective destemming followed by at least 30 days’ traditional fermentation in concrete and wooden vats. Pneumatic pressing, then systematic
malolactic fermentation.

MATURATION: 20-22 months in French oak foudres (60 hl), bottled without filtration or fining. Marketed at 2 years.

PERSONALITY AND AGEING: a Châteauneuf-du-Pape perfectly pitched between richness, freshness, robustness and femininity, velvet and minerality.

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe has been run by the Brunier family, for six generations - since 1891 to be precise. The estate's vineyards, 70 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.

"Cask sample. Brimming with red fruits. A real sweetness and firm tannins on the attack – an earthy and spiced note on the mid palate and a rich, layered finish. Pretty sweet sensation of fruit here. Attractive and great concentration of fruit. A baby but shows great potential."
17 Points. Alistair Cooper, jancisrobinson.com (November 2023)

"A superb effort, Piedlong's 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape is the same blend as typical—90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre—but a step up in quality compared to the 2021. From sandy soils, it delivers delicate florals, alpine strawberries and garrigue-like notes, while being full-bodied, ripe and round in the mouth. Silky, with bright acids, it finishes long, spicy and zesty. Impressive."
94-96 Points. Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com (September 2023)

"A very sanguine, attractive and bright Chateauneuf-du-Pape with aromas of sweet cherries, candied oranges, dried herbs and baking spices. It's full-bodied with fine tannins. Lively, with controlled power to the silky texture. Driven and full of verve, with the grenache character leading the pack. Crunchy and succulent with a lively finish. Drink or hold."
95 points. James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (April 2025)