DOMAINE DU VIEUX TELEGRAPHE

With his short, grey, curly hair and deep crow’s feet, Daniel Brunier has a patrician air as he stalks the winery. Cellar staff hush and busy themselves as he passes. Along with his brother Frédéric, he has built an empire that stretches from Châteauneuf-du-Pape to Gigondas, and all the way to Lebanon.

Daniel has just turned 60, and the brothers have now passed winemaking duties to their sons, Edouard and Nicolas, who represent the sixth generation. Is Daniel looking towards retirement? ‘It doesn’t exist for me. I don’t believe in it. I don’t know what it means,’ he says. ‘The job of a winemaker has many different roles: architect, gardener, goat herder... there is always work to do for people of any age.’ He may be modifying his role, but it’s clear he is still at the heart