Within the majestic structure of Southern Rhône reds, Piedlong 2022, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe stands as a work of vibrant classicism. The rolling pebble plateau leaves its mark, southern light sculpts the contours, and the old Grenache vines tell a story of depth and grace. The blend calls on Mourvèdre to add suppleness, backbone and a shadowy accent that highlights the clarity of the fruit. Long refined in foudres, this Châteauneuf-du-Pape unfolds a floral bouquet, airy spices and a palate that is at once caressing and restrained, like a grand musical theme played largo, with precision and uplift. Addressed to lovers of fine wines seeking a true emotion, it resolves the eternal southern equation—richness and freshness, power and distinction—by a razor‑sharp balance and a refined salinity.

Assemblage et vinification

The structure of Piedlong 2022 is based on a blend of 90% Grenache from septuagenarian vines on the Piedlong plateau, a terroir of Miocene molasses capped with galets roulés and clays, completed by 10% Mourvèdre of about fifty years from Pignan, on more airy sandy soils. The harvest is by hand with double sorting, the traditional fermentation lasts about 30 days in concrete and wooden vats, followed by pneumatic pressing and malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged 20 to 22 months in 60 hl French oak foudres to preserve the fruit’s brightness, polish the tannins and reveal the site’s mineral dimension. This precise approach, under sustainably farmed management, aims at purity of expression, the rightness of texture and aromatic persistence.

Notes de dégustation

• Appearance: Deep garnet with bright highlights, a clear weave that announces concentrated and vibrant material.
• Nose: Bouquet of old rose and violet, lifted by gentle spices, garrigue herbs and a basket of precise red fruits—cherry, raspberry, strawberry—with a hint of black olive and discreet minerality.
• Palate: Velvety attack, generous mid‑palate but held by a mouthwatering freshness, silky tannins with fine grain, a saline and persistent finish. A harmonious dialogue between richness and precision, density and verticality.

Température de service et conseils

Serve Piedlong 2022 at around 17°C in large tulip glasses to lift the complexity of the bouquet and the texture of the tannins. Gentle aeration before serving allows the wine to reveal its nuances, from florals to spices, without diminishing the straightness of its frame. Store bottles lying down, protected from light, at a stable temperature, and favour a measured, attentive service tuned to the meal’s rhythm. Its cellaring potential 2024 to 2044 offers a double pleasure: immediate charm of the fruit and later tertiary development.

Accords mets et vin

• Starters: game pâté en croûte, country terrine with herbs, roasted vegetables with thyme.
• Main courses: milk‑fed lamb with garrigue herbs, roasted pigeon, Provençal daube, thick melting veal chop.
• Surf & turf: lightly seared tuna with olives and capers, anchoïade served warm with confit vegetables.
• Cheeses: aged Comté, tomme de brebis from the Causses, matured Brie.
• Sweet finish: moderately sweet red‑fruit desserts, lightly sweetened thin strawberry tart.

Moments de dégustation

Piedlong 2022 goes with distinction to moments when the table becomes a stage for shared emotions. Its stature and grace make it a natural companion for contemplative dinners, long Sunday meals and gatherings of enthusiasts seeking a faithful expression of a historic terroir. Its ageing stability also allows the building of a living cellar to rediscover over the years.

• To celebrate a seasonal fine‑dining menu where cuisine and wine converse with restraint.
• At the heart of a themed tasting dedicated to southern Grenache expressions.
• As a connoisseur’s gift, bearing a heritage signature of the Rhône.

Caractéristiques

• Name: Piedlong 2022, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe
• Appellation: Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC
• Type: Red wine
• Vintage: 2022
• Grapes: Grenache 90%, Mourvèdre 10%
• Terroirs: Piedlong, Miocene molasses, clays and galets roulés, Pignan, sands
• Harvest: hand‑picked with double sorting
• Ageing: 20 to 22 months in French oak foudres, 60 hl
• Alcohol: 15%
• Volume: 75 cl
• Cellaring: 2024 to 2044
• Serving temperature: 17°C
• Farming: sustainably farmed
• Critical scores: 95/100 RVF, 93/100