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Vignobles Brunier Tasting 2007
The Brunier family have long played a role in Châteauneuf du Pape, starting with Hippolyte Brunier who purchased some land on La Crau, the site of an old telegraph station. Here he planted vines, and thus he must be given credit for creating what would subsequently be named, by his son Jules, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe.
Today brothers Frédéric and Daniel, the fourth generation of the Brunier
family, continue to manage Vieux Télégraphe, but certainly not just Vieux Télégraphe. The
brothers now find themselves in charge of a miniature vinous empire, at the
core of which is their famous Châteauneuf estate. Alongside this they also run
Domaine la Roquette, another estate in the Châteauneuf
du Pape appellation, acquired by their father Henri in 1986, and
subsequently passed on to the siblings. And in 1998, in a partnership with Kermit Lynch, the
American importer who wrote of the Bruniers in his enchanting book Adventures on a Wine
Route, they also took
on Domaine les Pallières. This estate had
been home to the Roux
brothers, but with one of the duo having died, and the other with failing
health, the wines were apparently not what they once were. Under the management
of the Bruniers, I would say that they are back on form.
Like all good emperors the Bruniers also had ambitious plans for foreign
soils, and their most recent endeavour has been not in France but in Lebanon.
The same year that they acquired Les Pallières they also entered into a joint
venture with Dominique Hébrard, once of Cheval-Blanc in St
Emilion, and Ramzi and Sami Ghosn, two dynamic Lebanese brothers. On property owned by the latter two
the group established the Massaya winery, and it was not long before these
Lebanese wines were picking up awards and plaudits aplenty. As with those parts of the Brunier
empire closer to home, Massaya has been another success story for the brothers.
This recent tasting examined the more significant recent releases from the Vignobles Brunier, looking at the wines of the three Rhône estates, but sadly not Massaya. On the whole I found the wines to show the consistent quality that I have come to expect, although I must draw particular attention to the 2005 Vieux Télégraphe, which was without doubt the stand-out wine of the group here, and which I think is superior to many other recent vintages. It demonstrated a greater level of interest than the 2004 and 2003, and I think it also surpasses the 2001 and the 1998. In short, I believe this is the greatest vintage of Vieux Télégraphe that I have ever tasted, and fans of the estate should be ensuring this is one vintage that they do not forget to add to the cellar. (7/2/08)
Vignobles Brunier Tasting 2007 - Tasting Notes
Tasted in November 2007. Click
to locate stockists.
Domaine la Roquette Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc 2006: Rather papery on
the nose, with some lemon fruit, and a little sherbet. It is rather dumb though,
giving only gentle hints of these aromas. Soft and fleshy on the palate, rather
moderate acidity I feel, well rounded, lots of substance and texture here, not
so much in the way of structure and grip to support it. There comes a sudden
flourish of flavour revealed on the finish which has appeal and suggests good
potential here. A score that may well improve, I think. 16+/20
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc 2006: This has
some appealing aromatics, with a bright and herby edge to the fruit. Fat and
rounded at the start, soft, with a minerally-chalkiness to the texture beneath.
Fat and weighty in the mouth, as young white Châteauneuf can be. Like the
Roquette of the same vintage, it has rather a soft acid backbone. The palate holds
potential but there need to be some development here in order for it to match
the promise presented on the nose. 16+/20
Domaine Les Pallières Gigondas 2005: This wine has an aroma of sweet
and lively fruit, sprinkled with a handful of roasted herbs. There is a rather
reserved quality to the fruit that follows on the palate, with some attractive
cherry and redcurrant character, with a nice, warm, baked edge which doesn't
override everything else in the mouth. It has an elegant presence, freshness and
style. There is a slight note of animal to it, but on the whole the fruit is
lovely and quite pure. Great character and fine potential. Very good indeed. 17.5+/20
Domaine la Roquette
Châteauneuf du Pape 2004: This has a settled nose,
gentle in character, showing a little meaty fruit with a vein of cherry. The
palate has a fine composition, with some similar cherry fruit character tinged
with cough-candy sweetness. Underneath there is a rather dry, tannic structure
but with this a nice freshness, acidity and overall it maintains a good presence
in the mouth. This is really good. 16.5+/20
Domaine la Roquette
Châteauneuf du Pape 2005: The contrast with the
2004 vintage is fascinating. Here we have a wine showing more depth, with a
animalistic, savage edge to the nose. The palate has a nice weight and is well
composed, rather fuller and fatter than the wine from the preceding year but
there is a good seam of acidity underneath the wild cherry fruit to balance it
out. There is a good grip too, especially through the finish. This is still
rather tight, but it has very fine potential. 17-17.5+/20
L'Accent de la Roquette Châteauneuf du Pape 2005: An old vines cuvée from
Domaine la Roquette.
This seems quite closed down on the nose, giving nothing on which I can comment. The palate is
soft and textured, with a supple style. It has a rounded, creamy nature with
lots of very ripe tannins underneath. It has a firm, savage character and there
is certainly lots of impact here, helped by an appropriate seam of acidity. It
is not possible to judge definitively in this state, but the structure of the wine suggests
there is plenty to come yet here. 17-17.5+/20
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf du Pape 2005: A cherry
pink-red hue in the glass. Often when tasted at this stage in its evolution I
have found Vieux Télégraphe to be rather simple in its aromatics, but this wows me with
wild notes of garrigue and aromatic herbs on top of the usual sweet
fruit. It has a very soft entry onto the palate despite this, but then reveals a
well composed supple melding of ripe tannins, well covered by fruit, with a good
acid backbone as well. There is true character here too. Great potential,
a fine vintage for the Bruniers I think. 18-18.5+/20
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