2007 Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe "La Crau" Châteauneuf-du-Pape

SKU #1052131 96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2007 Vieux Telegraphe may be the greatest wine made at this property since the 2005 and 1998. Dense ruby/purple-tinged with an exquisite nose of salty sea breezes, licorice, ground pepper, jammy black cherries, black currants, figs, and plums, this is a full-bodied, rich, Provencal-styled offering with lots of sweet, ripe tannin. It is surprisingly accessible for a Vieux Telegraphe (this wine normally shuts down several years after bottling), but it should have great longevity (25+ years) given its power, full-bodied mouthfeel, and enormous length and richness. This is a brilliant effort from brothers Frederic and Daniel Brunier. (10/ 2009)

95 points Wine Spectator

#3 Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines 2009: Packed, in a brawny, muscular style atypical for this lush vintage, with a gravelly undertow to the currant paste, braised fig and dark licorice notes. Picks up even more steam on the finish, with grilled mesquite, mineral and garrigue notes and a long, hot stone filled finish. Best from 2010 through 2030. (12/ 2009)

93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Glass-staining ruby. Highly pungent bouquet offers black fruit compote, olive and floral qualities, along with a slightly high-toned quality that recedes with air. The palate-coating, deeply concentrated cassis and blackberry flavors display a slow-mounting spiciness. Pretty powerful for a wine from this estate... (2/ 2010)