Reviews
98 Jeb Dunnuck -
Read
The 2016 Chateauneuf-du-Pape is unquestionably the greatest wine made from this estate to date and surpasses the 1998, 2007, and 2010. Checking in as a normal blend of 75% Grenache, 10% each of Syrah and Mourvedre, and the balance Cinsault, it offers a heavenly bouquet of blackcurrants, ground pepper, new saddle leather, garrigue, and an assortment of exotic spices. Deep, full-bodied, incredibly concentrated, yet with the purity, elegance, and finesse that makes this vintage so special, it can be drunk any time over the coming two decades or more. Bravo!
Technical Details
- Blend75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 5% Cinsault
- CountryFrance
- RegionRhone
- AppellationChateauneuf du Pape
Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf du Pape 2016
Rhone Blend | France
JD98, WS95, VN95
Too late, we are SOLD OUT!
Ranked #8 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2018! Also, #2 on Jeb Dunnuck's Top 50 of 2018! You'll hear it a thousand times, but 2016 Chateauneufs are fantastic. Always a favorite of mine, this 98-pointer from the legendary Vieux Donjon is a masterpiece.
About the Producer
Le Vieux Donjon is a fairly new winery by European standards, formed in 1966 by Marcel Michel. Marcel's daughter Claire Michel, who is now Claire Fabre, as she changed her name when she married Adrien Fabre of Domaine la Florane and Domaines de l'Echevin, manages Vieux Donjon along with her brother Francois Michel. Claire learned wine making here in Napa at Harlan Estate. The family's holdings have a huge portion of old vines with a third being over 100 years old. Some of their holdings are also in the sandy soils next to Rayas.