Vieux Telegraphe La Crau, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2023

Katie here. I want to share a truly wonderful wine. I love this one, because I have always said (and will continue to say) that I don’t prefer Chateauneuf-du-Pape (aka CdP). But now I’ll need to add an except to that statement, and I do enjoy finding those exceptions!

CdP is a wine region in the larger Southern Rhône region of France. The name translates to “the new castle of the pope,” as this wine region really took off when Pope Clement V relocated the papacy to Avignon in 1309. This is why all the CdP wine bottles are embossed with the keys of St. Peter, part of the papal insignia.

These wines are a blend, with regional laws allowing 18 different grape varieties to be used. CdP wines can be red or white, though most are red and primarily a GSM blend (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre). The “soil” here is some of the most recognizable in the world of viticulture, as it is made of galets roulés, or these crazy “pudding stones.”

These wines tend to have a flavor profile described as red fruits, earth, leather, and garrigue (referring to the herbaceous character coming from the vegetation growing along the Mediterranean there). And to me, they’re really earthy. I like earthy wines, but I often find these so dry and dusty, and they’re just not my preference. My husband, on the other hand, loves them. Poor guy, he rarely gets to drink them since I’m not a fan (don’t let that deter you, though—these are world-class wines, and definitely worth your exploring).

But sometimes, you come across something special that makes you question everything you thought you knew. And this time, that was:

Vieux Télégraphe La Crau 2023

Wow, this wine is SOMETHING. It has the red fruits you’d expect with a Grenache-heavy wine (in this case 70%)—stewed strawberries and tart cranberries, with a hint of rhubarb and cedar wood and crushed gravel, all mixed up into something complicated and lovely. There was no 2022 La Crau, as hail and a tornado destroyed the crop right before the harvest, but they sure made up for it in 2023.

This is a splurge wine for sure—it sells for $110 at Jacob Liquor—but it would be a stellar addition to your special celebration.