TN: 2000 & 2001 Vieux Télégraphe CdP

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

Reporting from Day-twah,

geo t.

[David M. Bueker]

Nice wines Geo, but your prices...ouch! I feel bad for you.

I have to say VT is in my top three for CdP. I still find it a relative value even at $50. I guess we can all bemoan the "gold old days" but those days are gone.

[David M. Bueker]

Current vintages of VT still go for about $40 in my market if you look carefully.

Anyone try the 99 VT recently? Is it worth trying a bottle, or do you think it is completely closed? I know some 99s are drinking pretty well right now.

TIA,
Marc

Marc, the 99 does not have the depth of the lovely 98. While it is still young, it is very drinkable right now and one to drink while the 98 ages.

[David M. Bueker]

I had a half bottle of the '99 in Denali National Park in fall 2005. It was gorgeous and open for business.

And if you think the setting biased me, don't. It was raining.

I had a half bottle of the '99 in Denali National Park in fall 2005. It was gorgeous and open for business.

And if you think the setting biased me, don't. It was raining.

David,
I also had a great bottle of it at a Thanksgiving dinner ca. '03, before I would expect it to close down. I haven't opened the ones I've got in the cellar and don't plan on doing so for another 4-5 years, but I do tend to like my CdP on the older side...

Mark Lipton

Nice wines Geo, but your prices...ouch! I feel bad for you.

What can I say? It is what it is here in Michigan, but I should add that I didn't pay that much for these; I just quoted the price tags attached to the bottles.

Cheers,

geo

Marc, the 99 does not have the depth of the lovely 98. While it is still young, it is very drinkable right now and one to drink while the 98 ages.

Randy, I have a couple of the La Crau 98's in storage. When should I think about opening one of them?

And talk about the good old days, I paid $31 each for them (after mixed case discount).

-- Clark

I remember older bottles...very typical Pape..but recently had a half bottle
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieux Telegraph 2003. Didn't make any comprehensive notes at the time( my wife was ill)..however..the sommelier and myself got to chatting..we both agreed..although a very good wine..nothing like the Pape style..more mid Spain...I like my traditions...hope it is not a trend.


Barry

Marc, the 99 does not have the depth of the lovely 98. While it is still young, it is very drinkable right now and one to drink while the 98 ages.

Randy, I have a couple of the La Crau 98's in storage. When should I think about opening one of them?

And talk about the good old days, I paid $31 each for them (after mixed case discount).

-- Clark

I'm obviously not Randy, but have recently had a bottle of the '98 La Crau, which was considerably more open than it was two years before, but still lacking the complexity I hope it will have in another 5 or 10 years. And mine has been stored at 60 degrees from the outset, so may be a little more advanced than if kept at slightly colder temps. I marked the rest of the case "2012+" but will probably sample it again in 2 or 3 years, because I am weak, and because I am not very confident in my ability to predict such things.

but I do tend to like my CdP on the older side...

After trying the 1988 and '95 VT last weekend, I would agree. The '88 had a beauty that was subtle and wonderful. Pretty much everyone thought the 1995 was the "better" wine, but I really liked the charm of the older bottle.

Barry, I hope that 2003 was an aberration, and not what we can expect more of in the future.