Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2023s

Brothers Daniel and Frédéric Brunier took over Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, one of the largest in Châteauneuf-du-Pape with seventy hectares under vine, from their father Henri. Today the next generation – brothers Edouard and Nicolas - has joined the estate to continue the longstanding and independent family tradition of winemaking dating back to 1891 when Henri Brunier first bought a plot of woodland on the plateau of La Crau. This prized parcel of La Crau considered one of the top sites in the region. Rightfully so, these wines are some of the most recognised Châteauneufs.

The family also makes a different style of Châteauneuf called Piedlong which is a Grenache based wine from old vines the sandy soils of Pied long along with a portion of Mourvedre from the lieu-dit of Pignan. After catastrophic hail hit La Crau with the vintage 2022 there was no Vieux Télégraphe released last year. The 2023 is a brilliant return to business, with elegance, a fine tannin structure and eminent refinement that is the signature of this estate.

Paul Vincent Avril at Domaine du Clos des Papes makes one of the most sought-after wines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This Southern Rhône estate has been in the Avril family for three generations, gaining in reputation from wine critics and drinkers alike. Vincent studied his craft in Burgundy and trained at Château Mouton-Rothschild in Bordeaux before returning to the Rhône and his family domaine.

Domaine du Clos de Papes takes its name from one of its vineyard plots which lies near the ruins of an ancient, 14th century papal castle. In total, there are 24 parcels throughout the appellation, with around 32 hectares planted to Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. Vincent is known for both his particular winemaking methods and his absolute passion for his wines. As ever, Vincent is very engaged with his vineyard. As climate change continues to shape the vintages with weather becoming more extreme Vincent is starting to pivot away from Syrah which can easily overripen in this region and move more towards varieties such as Cinsault and Counoise which can deal with the warm summer and drought conditions better. His style is to work with low yields in the vineyards, completely destem the fruit, co-ferment varieties, and age exclusively in old oak foudres and the result are wines of incredible complexity. He makes just one red and one white wine, which he considers the best expression of his appellation.

Wines have been made at Domaine de la Solitude estate for several hundred years, dating back to 1264 when the family arrived from Italy to serve the pope in Avignon. The three hats depicted on the label, signifies two bishops and a pope, who were among the forefathers of the Lançon family.

The Estate is situated in the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, on the western edge of the 'La Crau Plateau', and extends over 37 hectares, divided into 33 parcels. Today the estate is run by Florent Lançon, who cultivates the estate sustainably, as certified by Terra Vitis and the wines are certified organic. Florent also is experimenting with agroforestry and biodynamics, growing various other crops such as Szechuan pepper, yuzu and juniper between his vines.

Florent, who is passionate about innovative winemaking, while honouring traditional values, has recently started working with new tulip-shaped concrete vats which were initially designed for Cheval Blanc and are at the cutting edge of winemaking technology. Domaine de la Solitude’s wines are renowned for their characteristic elegance whilst expressing the true origins of their terroir.

This 18 hectare estate is a modern classic of Châteauneuf, having only been established since 1966 by Marcel Michel. Never following the fashion for super cuvées, Vieux Donjon makes one red and one white.

Today the estate is capably managed by brother and sister François Michel and Claire Fabre (née Michel).The most interesting element of this estate is the proportion of old vines. Around of third of the vines are over 100 years old. The terroir is varied across six different lieux-dits in the appellation, with just one hectare planted to white. The red is picked from 17 hectares of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre & Cinsault that are partially destemmed (and has been since 1993), vinified together in concrete and partly aged in concrete (20%) and partly in old oak foudres (80%).

Claire travelled across the world, even working as an intern for a time at Harlan Estate in California. She, alongside her brother, have helped to modernise the estate while keeping the estate classicism and core that has become their signature style. The wines in 2023 are stunning. Aromatic, pure, without too much weight, these are Châteauneuf that will drink well early but have more than enough stunning for mid to long-term ageing. Critic Nicolas Greinacher of Vinous has called the 2023 Vieux Donjon Rouge "outright delicious."

The Domaine Bois de Boursan was founded in 1955 by an Italian, Jean Versino, who settled in Châteauneuf-du-Pape with his family after moving across from Piedmont. The domaine takes its name from the small area where it is located, just a stone’s throw from the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape itself.

Like many estates, much of the production was sold in bulk until the late 1980s before the estate started commercialising the wine themselves.Today the estate is run Jean’s son, Jean-Paul Versino who has taken the estate forward in quality considerably. Since 2014 the estate is certified organic. The 10 hectares of vineyards include 15 different soil types, with an average age of the vines of over 60 years. The work in the cellar is traditional and understated, with partial destemming and fermentation in concrete and ageing in large old oak barrels.

These are understated and finessed wines, that speak of the complexity of soils and old vines that stand behind glass. A particular highlight is always the Cuvée Felix made with some of the oldest vines of the estate. Jean-Paul was extremely happy with his 2023s which deliver freshness and intensity yet with a little less alcohol compared with his 2022s.