Châteauneuf du Pape: Le Vieux Donjon Blanc 2021
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"The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc from this terrific estate sports a lighter gold hue to go with a beautiful perfume of tart melon and honeyed pineapple, with a kiss of sappy flowers. It's medium-bodied, has a great texture, nicely integrated acidity, and a clean, classy finish. It's another impeccably made white from this team readers will love. 93/100."
Jeb Dunnuck - JebDunnuck.com
The Michel family presides over just 1 hectare of white grapes - Roussanne & Clairette. The Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc they produce has delicate fleurs blanche aromas and a generous weight of ripe orchard fruit and a persistent dry finish.
This fine white Châteauneuf' is made from roughly equal volumes of Clairette and Roussanne, vinified in stainless steel and bottled the winter following the harvest. It is savoury and sapid with alluring fleurs blanches aromas, a well-delineated palate of white orchard fruit and a long, elegant finish. It would make an excellent foil for a Mediterranean tapenade.
| Style | White Wine, Sec, Medium-bodied, Non Sparkling |
|---|---|
| Wine Region | Rhône, Châteauneuf du Pape |
| Grape Variety (Cépage) | Clairette, Roussanne |
| Food & Wine Matching | Olives, Pasta |
| Viticulture | Non-Organic |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Cellarage | Drink young, but will happily absorb 3 to 5 years bottle age. |
| Vinification | The grapes are hand harvested at optimum ripeness from 10-year-old vines. They are then fermented at 18 degrees C. with malolactic fermentation being blocked to preserve the wines freshness. The wine is vinified in enamel vats prior to being fined and bottled the month after the following years 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
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