TASTING NOTE: "The 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pied Long is an instant classic. Perfumed and complex, it starts with prominent forest strawberry, red plum, dried herbs and crushed violets. Touching the full-bodied palate with outstanding overall balance, the smoothly structured 2023 is both juicy and elegant, ending with continuity on the savory resolution. (Drink between 2027-2041)."
93 Points - Nicholas Greinacher, Vinous
ABOUT THE WINE: Historically, the Bruniers’ La Crau bottling has been their flagship wine, their grand cru of sorts. In 2011 they decided to isolate the fruit from a promising vineyard with galet-littered soil from a separate plateau known as Piedlong, which lies at the summit of the appellation. This bottling might be—in essence—their other grand cru. Piedlong is a vineyard inherited from Daniel and Frédéric Brunier’s grandmother over thirty-five years ago, but the fruit was always blended into other wines. For various reasons, some unexplainable, fruit from Piedlong ripens about two weeks later than on La Crau, which gives it an immediate advantage, as a slow ripening process allows grapes to gain in complexity. The resulting cuvée—made from 90% Grenache—is therefore a kind of tribute to the grape and its ability to express terroir with purity. The blend in 2023 is 90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre. Wine is aged in concrete tanks for 1 year, then aged a second year in 50 hl foudre, bottled unfined and unfiltered, aged in bottle for 3 months.
ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Sixth-generation family member Nicolas Brunier now runs to the historic Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s oldest and largest wineries, renowned for its tradition of producing age-worthy, high-quality wines. The Brunier portfolio within the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC includes the red Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe La Crau, Piedlong and Télégramme, as well as the Vieux Télégraphe Blanc and Blanc Clos la Roquète. Piedlong, from 50-to-70-year-old vines in a stony lieu-dit. The Brunier family acquired this plot in 1986 with Domaine de la Roquète with winemaking taking place at the latter.
COUNTRY: France
REGION: Rhone Valley
SUB-REGION: Châteauneuf-du-Pape
VARIETAL: 90% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre
WINE STYLE: Red Wine
WINEMAKER: Nicolas Brunier
CLASSIFICATION: Sustainable Farming
CLOSURE: Cork
ABV%: 15%
SIZE: 750ml

$150-$250

Famille Brunier Piedlong Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2023