2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Piedlong

Always brought up in foudre, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Piedlong comes from the pebbly soils of the Piélong lieu-dit located in the heart of the appellation. Incorporating 10% Mourvèdre, its medium ruby color is followed by a complex, layered, beautifully Grenache that has lots of savory red fruits, dried strawberries, dried earth, spice, and licorice aromas and flavors. It's medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and long. Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe is one of the old-guard estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and the Brunier brothers continue to make a classic, ageworthy, and uncompromising style of wine that requires bottle age. The estate is in the eastern portion of the appellation and has a whopping 150 acres of prime terroir, almost all located in the famed La Crau lieu-dit, which is one of the warmer, earlier terroirs in the region. In addition to their reds, they also make a brilliant white. I’ve also included the La Roquete releases here, which are also made by this team.

Still yet to be bottled, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Piedlong is 90% Grenache (from the Piedlong lieu-dit) and 10% Mourvèdre. It offers mouthwatering elements of cherries and raspberries, rose petals and black tea. Silky, lacy and delicate in texture for such a full-bodied wine, it's immediately charming and seductive.

(50% whole clusters; aged for a year in concrete vats followed by another year in neutral oak foudres ) Deep ruby-red. Assertive red fruit preserve and floral aromas, along with garrigue and spice notes that build steadily in the glass. Juicy and expansive on the palate, offering sweet black raspberry and cherry flavors and a hint of spicecake. Shows a hint of licorice on an impressively long, floral-tinged finish that's given shape by fine-grained tannins.