Chauteneauf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe "La Crau"

Tonight we are tasting a very interesting wine, one that I've had for several years: a Chateauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe 1997 "La Crau". This was a gift from a good friend of mine, around 2001.

After opening the bottle, we decanted the wine for a while and started tasting. The first two tries were rather dissapointing, as the wine had clearly not "opened" yet. After some two hours, the wine clearly starting some signs of life.

The wine contains some very deep aromas in nose (I used a relatively new Riedel Overture glass rather than my 12-year old, miraculously surviving Riedel Shyrah glass), slowly suggesting a dry wood smell. In nose, the wine is very aromatic, unlike some other Chateneufs I've tried (like the Tesco's selection I tried in early January in London). The smell is clearly intoxicating in its complexity and deepness. A true breathtaking experience.

To the eye, the colour of the wine is intriguing. Without showing the yellowish terracotta shade of some old Riojas, the orange and red tonalities of of this wine's terracota shades clearly show the aging that this wine has lived through.

The attack of the wine is potent, as should be expected of this clearly Grenache-intensive, rustic wine.

The middle of the wine leaves a viscous impression, foreseen in the strength of the legs in the glass.

The alcohol content, at 14%, is not to to be ignored, and it tends to dull the mouth after a few glasses.

The finish of the wine is light, but perceivable. It leaves a very pleasant sensation in the throat. Not the unctuous sensation of other heavier, old wines, but very interesting anyway.

All in all, an excellent wine, drunk at the right time. I will remember to thank the friend who gave it to me the next time I talk to him.

In Vino, Veritas