Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2002 - what to expect?!

I'm looking for a little advice - I've found a Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vignobles Jeromes Quiot 2002 white that I bought a while ago. Any recommendations on when to drink or is it long past it's prime?

[David M. Bueker]

Unfortunately 2002 was the worst year in Chateauneuf in recent memory (very heavy rains). I would open it soon & hope for the best but expect the worst.

Vieux Telegraphe even changed the name of their wine in 2002. "Vieux Telegramme" I think it was called. I'm not kidding.

Vieux Telegraphe even changed the name of their wine in 2002. "Vieux Telegramme" I think it was called. I'm not kidding.

Telegramme, an all-Grenache cuvée made in The Year of the Floods (and in subsequent years). I bought and opened a bottle in '05 and it was light, pleasant and forgettable... and not worth the $20 tariff. The Borsao Tres Picos I opened the day after was a far more interesting Greanche.

Mark Lipton

I'm looking for a little advice - I've found a Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vignobles Jeromes Quiot 2002 white that I bought a while ago. Any recommendations on when to drink

Ideally, never.

Actually, there may be some hope for a few whites - I understand some producers harvested for the whites before the floods came and ruined everything, so there are a couple of drinkable whites out there. But the few 02 Southern Rhones I've had have been quite unpleasant (even Rayas made a very poor wine that's more like a very metallic rose), so don't have expectations.

Adele, I'm sorry that we are all being so negative, but it was indeed a terrible vintage, so terrible that most wines were not even reviewed by major critics in order (I imagine) not to offend the producers. In a year of heavy rains, grapes don't mature sufficiently, leading to wines that tend to be overly acidic. However, I did have a 2002 Gerin Cote Rotie La Landonne (normally an expensive red that was much more affordable in 2002 because of the vintage) last year that was elegant and pleasurable. So, as David says, just open yours with low expectations and hopefully you'll have at least a pleasant experience. But it's important to remember this about 2002 Rhones because two days ago I was browsing in a close-out store in NY and saw many bottles with impressive names but low prices because they were 2002. A customer who knows enough to know the appelations but not enough to know the better vintages would no doubt consider these prices a steal, so the entire setup looked a lot like a trap for the less informed.

I am supposing this would be one of the following Vignobles Jérôme Quiot's Châteauneuf du Pape Blancs [Domaine du Vieux Lazaret , Domaine Duclaux or Les Combes d'Arnevels Blanc] and, whatever it is, with any luck it might have been harvested before the worst of the rains and flooding that ruined so many of the red wines of the Southern Rhone that year.

As others have indicated even the best struggled to make a worthy wine and some didn't bother. For example Beaucastel didn't make their CDP which might explain why the Coudoulet was rather better than might have been expected. I still much prefer the 2001.

The Northern Rhone fared better but was still patchy.

However if your wine was good when it went into the bottle there is no reason to suppose it is over the hill today although there is also no reason not to open and, hopefully, enjoy it. Good luck.

Telegramme, an all-Grenache cuvée made in The Year of the Floods (and in subsequent years).

Thanks for the explanation. I thought they had simply re-labled the standard bottling. I was imagining a "Vieux Text Message" offering in a really sucky year.

Vieux Telegraphe even changed the name of their wine in 2002. "Vieux Telegramme" I think it was called. I'm not kidding.

Telegramme, an all-Grenache cuvée made in The Year of the Floods (and in subsequent years). I bought and opened a bottle in '05 and it was light, pleasant and forgettable... and not worth the $20 tariff. The Borsao Tres Picos I opened the day after was a far more interesting Greanche.

Mark Lipton

Mark, as I think you inferred, the Telegramme you drank to was the 2002 because I have had subsequent vintages which have been good wines in comparison to your reference.

As I recall Telegramme did indeed appear as a name for the first time from the 2002 vintage but I understand [but cannot confirm] that it is an alternative or parallel name for Vieux Telegraphe’s second wine, Vieux Mas des Papes, which has been around longer than that.

I don’t know what the cepage was in 2002 but Vieux Mas des Papes/Telegramme is usually a Grenache dominated cuvee but with some Mourvedre in it with the grapes coming from La Crau, like the Grand Vin itself, but from younger vines and parcels not considered appropriate for VT.

Mark, as I think you inferred, the Telegramme you drank to was the 2002 because I have had subsequent vintages which have been good wines in comparison to your reference.

Nigel,
Yes, indeed, the Telegramme that I had was the inaugural edition ('02).

As I recall Telegramme did indeed appear as a name for the first time from the 2002 vintage but I understand [but cannot confirm] that it is an alternative or parallel name for Vieux Telegraphe’s second wine, Vieux Mas des Papes, which has been around longer than that.

Cellartracker seems to indicate that the Vieux Mas des Papes label continued through the '04 vintage.

I don’t know what the cepage was in 2002 but Vieux Mas des Papes/Telegramme is usually a Grenache dominated cuvee but with some Mourvedre in it with the grapes coming from La Crau, like the Grand Vin itself, but from younger vines and parcels not considered appropriate for VT.

In '02, Grenache was the only grape to ripen sufficiently, so the wine was 100% Grenache. I have no idea what it's been in subsequent years.

Mark Lipton