Domaine Du Vieux Telegraphe

The history of the estate

The family history of the Vieux Télégraphe estate began in 1891 when Henri Brunier founded the property in the village of Bédarrides, southeast of what is now the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC wine area. He gave his son Hippolyte parcels of land on the Crau, on which the latter planted his first vines on this plateau.

Claude Chappe, the inventor of the first optical telegraph, having installed one of his relay towers there, Hippolyte's son had the idea of naming the estate "Vieux Télégraphe". He also extended the cultivable area to 17 hectares of vines.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, it was Henri Brunier, the second of the name and the fourth generation, who would expand the vineyard to 55 hectares, while making it a classic of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation and positioning its wines on the most prestigious markets in the world.

Taken over by his two sons Frédéric and Daniel in the 1980s, the estate now operates more than 100 hectares of vines in AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape and 20 hectares in IGP Vaucluse and AOC Ventoux. To this estate can be added the 25 hectares of AOC Gigondas vines of Domaine Les Pallières, taken over in 1998 with Kermit Lynch, as well as Domaine Massaya in Lebanon, consisting of 50 hectares of vines in the northeastern Beqaa plain.

Nicolas, son of Frederic, and Edouard, son of Daniel, joined the estate in 2015 and 2016.

The terroir

The vineyard has been farmed for five generations by the Brunier family. The 150 hectares of vines, with an average age of 60 years, are spread over a terroir of rolled pebbles constituting the Crau plateau.

On this immense domain, everywhere reign the same convictions advocating a reasoned, organic and sustainable agriculture. According to each parcel, the practices are adapted in order to respect the soil and to produce the best possible fruits. It's all about balance and care.

The application of the principles of organic agriculture aims on the one hand to obtain wines containing no residues, and on the other hand to emit a minimal external pollution.

The wines

The Old Telegraph Red exudes a deep red color and a nose of red and black fruits, with hints of spice. The palate is also fruity, coupled with a beautiful elegance and silky tannins. With maturation, animal notes stand out.

The Old Telegraph White offers a pale yellow color. Its nose mixes floral and spicy aromas (anise, fennel). On the palate, this wine is round and aromatic, while maintaining a nice freshness.