Vieux Telegraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc la Crau 2020

The Winery

Domaine Du Vieux Télégraphe

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe does indeed derive its name from an old telegraph station, one which was once sited on the hill where this Châteauneuf domaine now stands. The station was one of Claude Chappe's optical telegraph relay towers, erected in 1792, part of a system of such stations spanning the whole of France which utilised a semaphore system to relay information. Each station was equipped with two telescopes, pointing up and down the line, to view incoming messages. The French Government opted for replacement by an electric telegraph in 1846, despite some fears that such a communication system was more open to sabotage as a cable was easily cut, and thus the station at Châteauneuf has long since been demolished. As for the vineyards, the history of the domaine itself begins with Hippolyte Brunier in 1898, who planted vines on the Plateau de la Crau, situated in the triangle between the villages of Bédarrides, Châteauneuf and Courthezon, thereby establishing the vineyard that today remains the prime source of fruit for Vieux Télégraphe. Over the ensuing years the vineyard was expanded, most notably by the next generation, Jules, who saw it reach a size approaching 17 hectares. Jules was also responsible for christening the domaine, naming it after the aforementioned telegraph station that once occupied the spot on the plateau. During the early years of the 20th Century there was a downturn in the estate's fortunes, phylloxera and war both taking their toll. It was the next generation, in the shape of Henri Brunier, that was charged with rebuilding the domaine, a task to which turned all his attention, before subsequently handing it on to his own sons, Daniel and Frederic, in 1988.