Domaine Du Vieux Telegraphe - Famille Brunier

The history of the estate

The family history of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe began in 1891 when Henri Brunier founded the estate in the village of Bédarrides, southeast of what is today the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC wine-growing 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, inventor of the first optical telegraph, installed one of his relay towers here, and Hippolyte's son came up with the idea of naming the estate "Vieux Télégraphe". He also extended the cultivated area to 17 hectares of vines.

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

Taken over by his two sons Frédéric and Daniel in the 1980s, the estate now cultivates over 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 the Massaya estate in Lebanon, comprising 50 hectares of vines in the northeastern Beqaa plain.

Nicolas, son of Frédéric, and Edouard, son of Daniel, join the estate in 2015 and 2016.

The terroir

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

On this immense estate, the same convictions reign everywhere, advocating reasoned, organic and sustainable agriculture. Depending on the plot, practices are adapted to best respect the terroir and produce the best possible fruit. It's all a question of balance and care.

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

The wines

The Vieux Télégraphe rouge boasts a deep red color and a nose of red and black fruits, with hints of spice. The palate is similarly fruity, coupled with beautiful elegance and silky tannins. As it matures, animal notes emerge.

The Vieux Télégraphe blanc offers a pale yellow color. Its nose blends floral aromas and spices (anise, fennel). On the palate, this wine is round and aromatic, while retaining a lovely freshness.