WTN: 1988 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe CdP

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1988 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Chateauneuf du Pape, $19.99, 11 – 14% alc.: Sharlan Douglas found this hiding in her cellar, the last of a batch of ’88 and ’89 CdPs she invested in a decade or more ago, and she and her husband Ken Hebenstreit brought it over to share with us on New Years Eve. A rusty dark garnet in color, it’s a little musty (in a good way) at first, gradually opening to show classic Chateauneuf characteristics of smoke, cola, leather, earth, cedar – mahogany and a hint of something like brass over sweet plum and prune on both flavor and aroma. Velvety smooth on the palate, with modest tannins at best, fairly low acidity and a long finish, the wine is lush, rich and delicious, easily one of the finest CdPs any of the four of us have ever had. It made a wonderful match for Kim’s confit of veal breast with garlic mashed potatoes, caramelized pearl onions, wild mushrooms (porcini and morel) and veal sauce reduction. My poor words simply cannot do justice to this marvelous, mature Vieux Télégraphe. Bravo!

Imported by Kermit Lynch, Wine Merchant – Berkeley, CA

Reporting from Day-twah,

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