The 2007 Vieux Donjon was the winning bottle in the July Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was decanted for 90 minutes at cellar temperature.
Vieux Donjon was formed in 1966 by Marcel Michel. The current iteration came about in 1979 with the marriage of Lucien and Marie José Michel. Both Lucien and Marie José’s parents owned vineyards in the region, and those holdings were combined to form Vieux Donjon. The domaine covers fourteen hectares of vineyards, thirteen planted to red grapes and one planted to white.
Light crimson in color. 14.5% ABV. Soaring nose that screams of the ’07 vintage. Red fruits, kirsch liqueur, blood and licorice. On the palate you get the sense of how a more traditional producer is faring in this polarizing vintage. The wine has a decadence to it but somehow maintains a rustic profile. Medium body with medium acidity. Cherries, garrrigue, iron and umami on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish with some coarse tannins. I think additional time in the cellar is warranted for the ’07 Vieux Donjon and most ’07’s in general. Best over the next 4-6 years.
My rating: 92 points.
Vieux Donjon is an organically farmed, traditional style of Chateauneuf-du-Pape that ages well and sells for a fair price. The 2016 version of Vieux Donjon can currently be bought at retail for around $60 and should have a place in your cellar.