Châteauneuf du Pape: Le Vieux Donjon Rouge 2018
Free next day delivery when you spend £125
"A rich, mouthfilling effort, Vieux Donjon's 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape is concentrated and velvety, showing plenty of power and weight. Ripe cherries and raspberries are dusted with clove and star anise, then joined by hints of leather and cocoa on the long, intense finish. This is a beautiful Vieux Donjon that should drink well for more than a decade. Drink 2020 - 2033. 95/100."
Joe Czerwinski - The Wine Advocate.
Le Vieux Donjon make just one red wine and that is consistently excellent. Their celebrated single cuvée red Châteauneuf' is made from a core of 75% Grenache Noir along with 10% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault. It has alluring garrigue berry scents and a sumptuous palate with a wealth of red fruit flavours over a background of ripe tannins and subtle, spicy undertones. It comes into its own at 3 to 5 years of age and good vintages will keep well for 2 decades or more.
| Style | Red Wine, Sec, Full-bodied, Non Sparkling |
|---|---|
| Wine Region | Rhône, Châteauneuf du Pape |
| Grape Variety (Cépage) | Cinsault, Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah |
| Food & Wine Matching | Beef, Casserole, Chicken and Turkey, Mushrooms, Pheasant and Game |
| Viticulture | Non-Organic |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Cellarage | Drink 2021 to 2030. |
| Vinification | Low yields of ripe grapes are picked by hand from 80+ year old vines. They then undergo an alcoholic fermentation in cement vats for 18 to 21 days, followed by 2 months in cement tanks for a malolactic fermentation. The wine is left unfiltered and is bottled 18 months after the vendage. |
| Alcohol By Volume (%) | 15 |
Le Vieux Donjon
It might surprise some people to find that world-renowned domaine Le Vieux Donjon is a relatively new creation, having been founded after the marriage of Lucien and Marie José Michel in 1979, although these days it is run by their daughter Claire and son François. Despite their huge success, the modest Michel family go about their business with the minimum of fuss, producing just the one red and one white wine from 18 hectares of vines (some of which are over 80 years old) across 6 lieux-dits and eschewing the practice of fancy special cuvées.
"If seeking The Real Thing at Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where the Grenache is quite rightly seasoned with other varietal influences, and where the land is allowed to speak, I would highly recommend Le Vieux Donjon to anyone's cellar."
John Livingstone-Learmonth - drinkrhone.com
View more wines from this producer...
