2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

During my visit with Claire Michel, who co-owns and operates Vieux Donjon with her brother Francois, we focused on winemaking. The process for the reds usually involves a proportion of whole clusters for Grenache, depending on the vintage. In 2021, the siblings destemmed 90% of Grenache, whereas in 2020 and 2022, they incorporated about 50% whole clusters. In contrast, Syrah and Mourvèdre are typically fully destemmed. One interesting aspect of the winemaking practice here is the co-fermentation of all the different grape varieties, rather than vinifying them separately and blending later. In 2023, the estate even added a small amount of the white variety Clairette to the reds. In their vineyard parcels with very old plantings, there are some co-planted white varieties like Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Clairette, which, therefore, co-ferment with the black grapes by default. Fermentation occurs in concrete tanks with indigenous yeasts, followed by daily pump-overs. Michel no longer carries out punch downs, as she aims to infuse the wine without seeking too much extraction. The total time on skins is around 20 to 25 days, and the pressed juice matures for one year in old oak foudres. The red wines do not see any barrique or new oak. The elegant red Châteauneuf-du-Pape from 2021 shows well but does not match the expressiveness and complexity of the 2019 and 2022 vintages. That said, the outstanding 2020 surpasses all others. I appreciate the Vieux Donjon style for its traditional and savory characteristics, always maintaining balance and avoiding excess, even in bolder vintages like 2019. As for the white wines, the Michel team harvests Roussanne first, undergoing direct pressing and fermentation in stainless steel tanks. After around ten days, they pick Clairette, which is then added directly to the fermenting Roussanne juice, resulting in a co-fermentation. Malolactic fermentation is always blocked to preserve acidity. The aging of the white Châteauneuf-du-Pape continues in stainless steel.

For decades the small domaine Le Vieux Donjon has been one of the most consistently outstanding producers of classically wrought Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Michel family owns 18 hectares of vines in the appellation, with just one of them devoted to white grapes. A decent amount of red wine is made here each year, around 7,000 cases, given that this is one of the holdout estates to issue only one red and one white bottling. Lucien Michel put his wines on the map back in the 1970s. Today, his children, Claire Fabre and her brother, François Michel, are more than upholding the domaine’s reputation. Both the 2018 and 2019 bottlings deliver the goods, with the 2019, especially, a long-distance runner based on its balance.