2000 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf du Pape “La Crau,†14% alc., $48.99: Dark garnet color, with sea air and smoky sweet plum, berry and cherry on the nose; on the palate, smoky leather accents the earthy beet root, plum and berry flavors, along with subtle hints of underbrush, thyme, lavender and even some soft cocoa. Showing great depth, with a smooth texture that belies the substantial structure, this impresses me as being an almost feminine Châteauneuf du Pape, if there is such a thing. A wine of great charm and a pleasure to drink, even at “only†seven years of age, and the best is yet to come.
2001 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf du Pape “La Crau,†14% alc., $48.99: Dark garnet color, with some barnyard on the nose that blows off to reveal a hint of decaying vegetation and not much else at this point; much more expressive on the palate, with flavors and aromas of beet root, plum and berry with some underlying cola, herbs, soft cocoa. A little deeper, darker, earthier and less immediately attractive than the 2000, with more obvious structure and in need of more time in the cellar, but there’s great potential, so try again on its 10th or 15th birthday.
Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
-from Red Wings & Red Rhônes Requiem
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