Tasting with Daniel Brunier

I visited Vieux Telegraphe back in 2011 and missed Daniel. He held a tasting at the wine bar October last year which I also missed, so I was very pleased to taste with him this afternoon and pick his brain a bit. He truly is a brilliant vigneron. The changes he has made to La Roquete and Telegramme show that he doesn't settle for making average wine. His new vineyards and side projects show his love for the land, and his wines are a celebration of the varied terroir in the Rhone. He is a professor and student of wine, and I really enjoyed the nuggets he was able to share with me.

• 2013 Famille Brunier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Clos La Roquète

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  A powerhouse showing lots of structure and bitter citrus peel enough round caressing qualities for this to really impress, good acid and freshness to hold these richer flavors, love the transparency, lots of mineral; a bit more strict than the Vieux Telegraphe Blanc; so good now that I'm not sure I'd want to age it more than 2 years.

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• 2013 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc La Crau

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Wow, great stuff here, softer than the La Roquete Blanc but more serious in a cerebral sort of way, rich and round with a delicacy that keeps it light, some candle wax and white flower, savory, great mid palate, stone, the Clairette has malo which I think adds quite a bit; this is delicious now and would drink it by the barrel even though Daniel says it ages tremendously.

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• 2012 Famille Brunier Vaucluse Le Pigeoulet

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vaucluse

  Lighter in color and texture, great floral and sweet red and dark fruit on the nose, Burgundian, granite soil shows through, raspberry and red cherry, simpler but a great buy, right in my wheelhouse, a great bistro red due to its food friendliness; really tasty stuff!

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• 2012 Domaine les Pallières Gigondas Les Racines

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas

  Harder and more severe, structured and serious, some fat which comes from the clay soil then firm tannin in the back, rusty, brick dust, palpable minerality, could confuse for a good CdP for sure, ripeness and alcohol in check; try in 5 years minimum.

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• 2012 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Télégramme

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Soft and very friendly, probably the ripest of all the wines today, good fruit, almost fig, raspberry, tastes like younger vines, classic CdP blend; will probably firm up in the next year or two but a pleasure to drink now.

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• 2012 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  I second aChave's note. The fruit is lower register than the Telegramme and the texture is surprisingly approachable now, but the power will emerge over the next couple of years. None of the typical blood orange but there is an orange oil note which keeps the wine bright. Very fine wine and a joy to drink.

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Overall the wines showed great discipline not displaying overripeness or flash that others chase. His wines are of someone in their prime who's worked the land and has grown intimately familiar with these old vines knowing that letting them make the wines is the best method. All indigenous yeasts, no punchdowns, no temperature controlled fermentations, if mala happens it happens are just a few of the ways these wines stay distinctive and characterful. There is usually a tension in their line that I appreciate though the wines require patience. Today several of the wines displayed that tension and others were seemingly lighter (tannin wise) but there was no mistaking the mid palates. I particularly loved the whites but the entire lineup is impressive and need to commit more of my wine buying dollars to experience these wines more often.