From magnum, the 2007 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau sports a deep blood red color to go with its decadent, ripe aromatics. Licorice, hot stone, meat juices, and roasted garrigue come jumping from the glass and the fruit leans towards the plum/raspberry liqueur spectrum. Beautiful on the palate, the wine is full bodied and lavishly textured, possesses loads of ripe fruit, impeccable balance and a long, focused finish. Very approachable now (and I thoroughly enjoyed this bottle) it continues to flesh out with air, gaining both depth and richness. Given the track record of this estate, I don’t see any reason this won’t drink well for 20+ years. Simply a stunning bottle of wine.

Packed, in a brawny, muscular style atypical for this lush vintage, with a gravelly undertow to the currant paste, braised fig and dark licorice notes. Picks up even more steam on the finish, with grilled mesquite, mineral and garrigue notes and a long, hot stone-filled finish. Best from 2010 through 2030. *Top 100 of 2009*

Glass-staining ruby. Highly pungent bouquet offers black fruit compote, olive and floral qualities, along with a slightly high-toned quality that recedes with air. The palate-coating, deeply concentrated cassis and blackberry flavors display a slow-mounting spiciness. Pretty powerful for a wine from this estate, showing more heft and dark fruit character than usual. The finish is broad, velvety and impressively persistent. (JR)