Buying Wine

Pick My Next Bottle – 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

The February installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the the 2007 vintage. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened on Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published the following week. Robert…

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2004 Vieux Donjon
Bottle Notes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

2004 Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Bottle Notes

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…

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2001 Vieux Donjon CdP
Bottle Notes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

2001 Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Bottle Notes

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…

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Random Musings

Reflections on the 2003 Vintage in France

The heatwave vintage of 2003 has always been a controversial one, especially for two of my favorite regions, Bordeaux and Chateaunef du Pape. Much of Europe, France in particular, suffered under a brutal heat wave and drought. In Bordeaux the grapes were picked earlier than ever before. The levels of sugar, and therefore resulting alcohol, reached record levels, but the…

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