Le Vieux Donjon - Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Starting in 1979, Marie-José and Lucien Michel managed this estate before handing it over in 2008 to their daughter Claire Michel-Fabre, who was joined by her brother François in 2012. While the cellars are located in the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this small 17-hectare estate is situated in the northern part of the appellation. With its smooth, floral, and very elegant profile, Le Vieux Donjon stands out as one of the leading examples of the refined and elegant style expected from a prestigious appellation like Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Decanter

About the wine:

A pleasantly fresh and smooth style with good acidity, featuring mouth-watering aromas of raspberry and strawberry. It feels light and easy to drink, especially given the extreme conditions of the vintage. Elegant, refined tannins. Fermented in concrete tanks, then aged in concrete and old oak casks.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

From the very first sip, it exudes a sense of purity and serenity. It offers aromas of fresh red fruit coulis. It unfolds with a velvety texture around the palate, anchored by a firm backbone at its core that gives it structure. It will age slowly and gracefully. A timeless classic.

About the estate:

The wines of Domaine du Vieux Donjon are among the finest, most elegant, and most consistent in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. This production should serve as a model for young winemakers who wish to produce refined Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines—not merely imposing ones. A meticulous and talented winemaker, Lucien Michel has gradually handed over the reins to his two children: Claire, who joined in 2007, and François, a trained agricultural engineer, in 2012. This new generation harmoniously continues the style that has built the estate’s reputation, with two exceptional vintages. The wines are vinified in concrete tanks and aged in large oak casks. The white is a blend of equal parts Clairette and Roussanne. The reds are only partially destemmed, which does not prevent them from being delicate. The estate owns vineyards in some of the appellation’s finest terroirs (8 hectares in Pied Long, beautiful plots in Cabrières, Rayas, Cristia—purchased in 2013—Pied de Baud, Bois de Boursan, Le Mourre de Gaud, and others). It should be noted that the estate is expanding by 0.5 hectares at the lower end of Cabrières, with white vines of Clairette Blanche and Clairette Rose.

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About the wine:

A well-crafted, balanced, and refined red wine. It offers notes of sweet cherries, dried herbs, red berries, and mild spices. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, with fine yet firm tannins. More juicy on the mid-palate, with a solid tannic structure that coats the palate at this stage. Lively fruit and full of vitality in the long, peppery finish. Best enjoyed after 2026.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

The 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Le Vieux Donjon is a classic and beautifully balanced expression of both the appellation and this estate. It boasts a vivid purple color, with aromas of ripe red fruit, peppery herbs, flowers, and sandalwood. Medium- to full-bodied, it is harmonious and elegant on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins and a lovely finish. This is a brilliant wine that is already enjoyable now but will age gracefully over the next 15 to 20 years.