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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.5 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 433 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by viking92067 on 3/24/2024 & rated 95 points: Acquired new. 2 hour decant but frankly not really necessary. Fully mature and perfect CDP. Cannot afford Chateau Rayas and this is a nice substitute. Always been a fan of this producer as they are consistently well made. (609 views) | | | Tasted by Yaozi on 2/19/2024 & rated 95 points: This beautiful CNP was alive and well. No decanting, served right after opening. Lots of nice dark red fruit and mild tannin, soft and yummy but with plenty of structure holding it all together. Alcohol was 14%. A wonderful experience and if any reader has any I would encourage you to enjoy it now, and don't save any for the second night. (946 views) | | | Tasted by Texas Corkscrew on 2/2/2024 & rated 94 points: Outstanding, still fresh, fruit forward and delicious. (979 views) | | | Tasted by Jonahpla on 1/5/2024 & rated 95 points: So delicious (1016 views) | | | Tasted by BernieMSY on 12/13/2023 & rated 95 points: I gave it 45 minutes of air prior to tasting.
Medium garnet color, with just a touch of bricking at the edges; savory notes of roast meat, and earth
are present on initial tasting. Out of the gate, the fruit has faded a bit relative to the last couple of bottles I’ve tasted. Tannins have receded almost completely, leaving a mouthwatering acidity fighting for balance against savory notes of leather and tar.
90 minutes after opening, a better balance has emerged: a rich mid-palate-coating of black, blue fruit peeks its head out. Quite delicious. Patience is rewarded.
During my initial taste, I would’ve rated this bottle a 92 or 93. After close to two hours of air, it has blossomed and matured into something more profound.
That said, I suggest drinking them up if you’ve got ‘em. I can’t see it getting any better,
At the 2 hour mark, I rated iit at 95. I’ll place a 94 into the score box on this CellarTracker note to balance out the score representing my own overall impression of this outstanding cuvée. (1194 views) | | | Tasted by KristianT on 11/10/2023 & rated 89 points: Last bottle of the 12 I bought in 2008, and that is probably a good thing as this bottle came across a bit tired. Very healthy cork and good colour with slight teal hue along the rim. Very rustic on the nose at first, but with a bit of air the wine came very nicely together. It drinks well and offers traditional notes of garrigue and thyme but also more meaty notes, which breaks the balance a bit. I normally adore the style of Vieux Donjon and still have 1998s in the cellar. But if this bottle is representative of the 2005s,I would say drink up now. (1045 views) | | | Tasted by ctwomey on 9/17/2023: Clear medium garnet with a presence of legs/tears on the glass.
A clean wine with medium+ intensity with aromas of preserved fruits, jamminess, strawberry, blackcurrant, bramble, kirsch, dried blackberry, forest floor, fig, leather, a touch of black pepper and farmyard. This wine is fully developed.
The wine is dry with medium acidity, tannins are medium- with medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours matching the aromas. The finish is long.
Drink now not suitable for further aging. (1199 views) | | | Tasted by chablis28 on 9/1/2023 & rated 92 points: Tasty btl w/ Nita's flank steak tonight. Not showing any oxidation but not sure this btl is any better than one from 3-1/2yrs ago. I had hoped another 3-1/2 years would make this final btl memorable. 91-92 (1388 views) | | | Tasted by john_s on 8/6/2023: Significant solids. Decanted. Smelled a bit rubbery at first, cleaned up fairly soon. This was stored well until 2 years ago, when it went through twosummers in a warm place, so maybe that affected it. Well balanced and enjoyable, seemed a bit more rustic than last time. Will try another well stored soon. (1189 views) | | | Tasted by Reimer on 7/10/2023 & rated 85 points: Drinkable. Getting bricky around the edges. Still has some fruit, smooth tannins , but starting to turn.
Drink up within the next 6 months. (1236 views) | | | Tasted by rnellans on 4/30/2023 & rated 95 points: Beautiful wine, drinking well. Red fruits, spice, garrigue. Soft tannins, great mouthfeel. Long pleasant finish. (1469 views) | | | Tasted by byzero on 4/20/2023 & rated 93 points: 11 Days of "Slow Decanting" this classically styled Chateauneuf du Pape
DAY 1
Served with the Vinlog System
👃Perfumed, ripe blackberry and plums with deep earthy notes of soil mixed with dusty cellar and a potato note. Oak signatures like vanilla and cedar mesh well with this classic styled Southern Rhone. Pretty stunning right away
👅Plummy dark fruit, kirsch, licorice, and same. Juicy. Oak influences and a touch of prune. A little warmth from the 14% alcohol lead into an extended finish. Good acidity. More refined than rustic
The remaining wine was "Slow Decanted" in my refrigerator
DAY 11
👃This is sweet with ripe, dark fruit and kirsch. Yes, that cut potato note is there again but it does not detract. There is a bit of spice and dustiness.
👅Full bodied and earthy with dark fruit. Silky texture. The tannins have mostly resolved with a little grip on the finish.
Based on this bottle, this wine still has time. It is drinking very well but it shows no signs of a downturn anytime soon
I seem to generally prefer CdP wines shortly after pouring rather than letting them breathe in the glass (or decanter).
That was true with this Donjon on both occasions. However, Slow Decanting the wine for 11 days did not change my enjoyment of the wine vs Day1🍷
Follow Vinloq.notes on Instagram (1219 views) | | | Tasted by Ricky99 on 4/3/2023 & rated 91 points: really tasty but for sure near a peak. drank with a blackened pork shop and it held up/balanced things like only a well aged rhone can! (1338 views) | | | Tasted by df1962 on 11/11/2022 & rated 95 points: PnD.
Consistent with previous note. A touch pruny but delicious. Drink up. Great with cassoulet. (1935 views) | | | Tasted by mxpbuy on 7/16/2022 & rated 94 points: P'n'P. 30 mins in the glass is all that was necessary. Bright and nearly candied red fruits, as are so common with this producer. But so much more as well. Liked it more than the '05 Pegau reservee by a little bit, but I think the Donjon matures faster. It's really in a true sweet spot right now. (2331 views) | | | Tasted by mxpbuy on 5/7/2022 & rated 94 points: One hour decant. Almost no sediment. Color still strong. Elegant red and black fruits, touch of spice, Oak, dried herbs. 25 second finish. Very smooth. Great bottle. (2502 views) | | | Tasted by mxpbuy on 3/26/2022 & rated 94 points: 45 minute decant but needed 90+ minutes before the funk fully dissipated. The earthy funk was 95% on the palate and not the nose. Color is still translucent ruby without bricking. Only the lightest sprinkle of fine silt sediment. Very sweet and near jammy red and black fruits with a touch of prune, but not in a bad way. Some spice. Silky smooth. Perhaps with a bit more acidity it could be 95 points. (2602 views) | | | Tasted by silhouette88 on 2/25/2022 & rated 92 points: Didn’t decant but allowed the wine to breathe in glass for 1 hour.
Aroma: raspberries, strawberries, prunes, lemon, eucalyptus and dried figs.
Palate: plums, prunes, silky mouthfeel, structured, soft and well-integrated tannins with a medium long finish. Delicious with a wild mushroom pizza, a fennel diavolo pizza and a radicchio salad. Excellent and still held well on day 5. My first CDP, what a great choice! 92 (2651 views) | | | Tasted by tomlee on 2/12/2022 & rated 94 points: Crimson in color. 14% ABV. Exotic nose of red fruits, kirsch, iron and tar. Medium to full bodied with perfect acidity and great balance. Rich, ripe and a touch primary. Kirsch liqueur, roasted herbs, garrigue and a hint of pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Super appealing and a tremendous reflection of what an old school producer can do in a somewhat flamboyant vintage. Best over the next 6-8 years. (2147 views) | | | Tasted by ChopperWine on 12/19/2021 & rated 93 points: Classic, old school CdP. Doesn't get much better. Ripe fruit core, perfect acidity, savory with a gamey nose and mouthfeel. (592 views) | | | Tasted by DanielAVTL on 11/26/2021 & rated 94 points: Consistent with the previous bottle (consumed just 3 weeks ago).
This time paired with a whole oven roasted duck, which was an excellent match. The now 16-year-old cork was in absolute mint condition (just like the previous bottle) and the wine performed very similarly.
PNP just before dinner, first sip was (again) a tad closed with a light body and a massive backbone / lengthy finish. Within 30 minutes (no decant obv.) it rounded out beautifully, boasting a sumptuous mouthfill of dark fruit, leather, earth and maybe some extra layers of cherry and game which were less pronounced last time around.
Overall an absolute "old-school" stunner, in it's peak drinking window. This will definitely go-strong for another few years, but to get the ultimate experience from this wine I would recommend drinking now or over the next 12-24 months.
Brilliant stuff from one of my favorite CDP producers. (2369 views) | | | Tasted by DanielAVTL on 11/5/2021 & rated 94 points: Magnificent CDP at its absolute peak. Popped and poured at 6:30pm, gave it an initial taste and discovered a stunning nose and beautifully dense fruit. Started out on the lighter side but quickly came into its own, and after 45 minutes (no decant) was displaying a gorgeously round mouthfill, delicious fruit with notes of prunes, leather, stilton and damp earth. Beautifully integrated tannins, soft and round with bursting fruit. Enjoyed it with home-made Pizza, topped by Prosciutto San Daniele (aged 36 months), Pecorino, salsiccia and fresh white truffle. A wonderful pairing.
I feel like this is peak CDP at its absolute finest moment. Will drink extremely well over the next 3-4 years, but I really feel this is the peak drinking window. Have one more bottle, will probably drink soon. (2086 views) | | | Tasted by drwine2001 on 10/14/2021: Dull light ruby. Dark cherry fruit and herbs. Medium weight. Excellent mixture of savory elements, earth, and discretely ripe fruit. Fully resolved and drinking beautifully now. (2519 views) | | | Tasted by nywine68 on 9/7/2021 & rated 93 points: Beautiful spicy and jammy CdP. Stewed sweet strawberries mixed with garigue spices, earth and mushrooms. Very nicely structured. (2045 views) | | | Tasted by Rollerball on 8/22/2021: At a perfect phase in its evolution. Broad, satiny, and transparent, this old school CdP rings and swirls with garrigue, cherry liquor, coffee, calvados, and hickory through its long, spicy finish. Best for the final glass, 4 hours after opeing (with no decant), this should remain at peak through 2025. (2032 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (11/11/2014)
(Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/30/2014)
(Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/17/2009)
(Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, January/February 2008, IWC Issue #136
(Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf du Pape) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Bonus Reviews (7/23/2007)
(Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (6/9/2007)
(Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape) Tight peppery nose; ripe cherry and very peppery, juicy palate; medium-plus finish 94 pts. 94 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (5/5/2007)
(Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape) Sous bois, cherry and tar nose; tight, pepper, black fruit, tart plum, sous bois, bay leaf palate with white pepper notes; medium finish 91+ pts. 91 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Vinous and JebDunnuck.com and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Le Vieux Donjon Producer website - Read more about Le Vieux Donjon
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)
http://www.ultimatewineshop.com 9/2012
Le Vieux Donjon, as it exists today, was created in 1979 with the marriage of Lucien and Marie Jose Michel. Both Lucien and Marie Jose's parents owned vineyards in the region, and those holdings were combined to form Le Vieux Donjon. The domaine covers fourteen hectares of vineyards (all farmed organically), thirteen planted to red grapes and one planted to white. The Michel's holdings are primarily in the North and Northwest of the appellation, but they also have small plots in the Southwest and East. Their most important parcel is Pialons, and the grapes from the 2008 come from that parcel as well as those in Cabrieres, Bois de Boursan, Les Marines and Le Mourre de Gaude. The soils are mainly limestone and clay, and are studded with the famed galets roule, the round, rust-colored stones which were left behind after the retreat of the Alpine glaciers which once covered the region. Now that Lucien Michel has inched his way into retirement, his young daughter, Claire, who did an apprenticeship at Napa's Harlan Estate, is in full control of the winemaking (another example of a woman who has taken charge of a famous estate). Remington Norman in Rhone Renaissance says of Donjon, "The style of the wines is unashamedly, 'traditionelle' – vins de garde with plenty of backbone and muscle to them. However, these are no clumsy blockbusters, but wines with real definition and elegance underneath powerful exteriors…These are well-constituted wines with great depth and extract, which manage to retain finesse." The secret to the success of Le Vieux Donjon is really no secret at all. They have tremendously old vines (many in excess of 80 years of age) and they are experts at picking only once the grapes have achieved optimum ripeness.Red Rhone Blend Read about the different grapes used to produce red and white Rhone wines
On CellarTracker, Red Rhone Blend is the term for a wine consisting of two or more of the traditional 13 Southern Rhone grape varieties. Typically it's the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre or Cinsault grapes, but can also contain the Muscardin, Counoise, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, Roussanne, Terret Noir, Picardan or Vaccarese grapes.
A 'food' wine. Lacking pretension and intended for local consumption with local cuisine. Lacks the 'high' notes on a Bordeaux, more earthy and sharper so often a better partner to meat dishes with a sauce. France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comRhône Guide to the wines, wineries and appellations in the Rhone Valley The Rhône Valley/Le Vins de la Vallée du Rhône (Comité Interprofession des vins AOC Côtes et vallée du Rhône)
### Wine Scholar Guild's Rhône valley vintage charts & ratings ###Southern Rhône Guide to the wines, wineries and appellations in the Southern Rhone Valley
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Châteauneuf-du-Pape Appellation - Read more about Chateauneuf du Pape
Another site on this appellation
Vineyards on weinlagen-info
"As I have written many times in the past, the sweet spot for drinking Châteauneuf du Papes is usually the first 5-6 years after the vintage. Then they seem to go through an adolescent, awkward, and sometimes dormant stage, only to re-emerge around year 10-12, where the majority of wines are often fully mature. The best of them will continue to hold on to life (but rarely improving) beyond 15-20 years. It is only the exceptional Châteauneuf du Papes that will evolve for 20-25+ years, and those are indeed a rarity. However, things may be improving dramatically in terms of the longevity of Châteauneuf du Pape, although Grenache-dominated wines, the vast majority of wines produced in the appellation, are wines that do not have the polyphenol (extract and tannin) content of top Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, or Syrah-based wines. Nevertheless, the younger generation in Châteauneuf du Pape has taken seriously the farming in the vineyards. There are more organic and biodynamically run vineyards here than in any other appellation of France. The yields, which were already low, are even lower today (20-35 hectoliters per hectare), and of course, the proliferation of top luxury and/or old-vine cuvées gives a significant boost to the number of wines that will evolve past 25 or 30 years. The advantage of these wines is their broad window of drinkability." - Robert Parker
Vintage Chart 1978 to Today
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