2023 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe "Piedlong" Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Not far off a Rayas-like style with its transparent ruby hue, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Piedlong is based on 90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre and aged 20-22 months in 60-hectoliter French oak foudres. It shows incredibly floral aromatics of framboise, spring flowers, minty herbs, and peppery, rose-like hints. Medium-bodied, with a balanced, juicy, seamless mouthfeel, fine tannins, and outstanding length, it's a beauty that should be given 3-4 years of bottle age if you can and will drink beautifully over the following 15 years. Drink 2027-2040.

I recently tasted this with our sales team in Hollywood, and it was a smash. At 90% Grenache (with the rest Mourvedre), the wine had that classic translucent brightness that immediately made me think of Grenache from yesteryear. But don't mistake that brightness for a lack of flavor. There is plenty going on here. The Piedlong has a sweet, captivating quality to the fruit that was fresh, inviting and constantly evolving in the glass. This was a showstopper, really. We all paused and marveled at the way the wine danced across the palate. It was lithe and energetic, but never shorted you on flavor. Each sip seemed to bring you right back for another. There is something so appealing about Châteauneuf when it doesn't rely on its weight to make its point. This has brightness, movement and plenty of personality. Easily one of my favorite glasses of Châteauneuf-du-Pape I've had this year.