TAPS Winebar

Le Vieux Donjon

Châteauneuf du Pape


WINE  12



DEEP & RICH


A unique Châteauneuf-du-Pape with body, muscles and complexity, yet elegant at the same time.
Le Vieux Donjon makes just one red and one white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, so all the focus is on making these two wines, as high quality as possible.
The average age of the domain's vines is over 50 years, but in fact 33% of the vines are more than 100 years old. The red grapes are stalked before the vinification, which takes place in traditional concrete tanks. All grapes ferment together with the exception of Mouvèdre, which is vinified in a tank by itself. A total of just about 50,000 bottles of wine are made from Le Vieux Donjon.


DYBDE & FYLDE


En i særklasse stor Châteauneuf-du-Pape med krop, muskler og kompleksitet dog samtidig elegant.

Le Vieux Donjon laver blot én rød og én hvid Châteauneuf-du-Pape, så al fokus er koncentreret på at lave disse to vine, af så høj kvalitet som muligt.

Gennemsnitsalderen for domænets vinstokke er over 50 år, men faktisk er 33% af vinstokkene mere end 100 år gamle. De røde druer afstilkes inden vinifikationen, der foregår i traditionelle betontanke. Alle druer gærer sammen med undtagelse af Mouvèdre, som vinificeres i en tank for sig selv. Der laves i alt ca. kun 50.000 flasker vin fra Le Vieux Donjon.


FACTS


Country: France

Region: Rhône

Winery: Le Vieux Donjon

Year: 2020

Type: Red

Grapes: Grenache, Syrah & Mourvèdre

Alcohol: 15%

Aging: Oak barrels

Closure: Cork

Winemaking: Traditional


ABOUT THE WINERY


Le Vieux Donjon


Le Vieux Donjon is a small family domain in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where Marcel Michel started making wine in 1966. In 1979, Marcel's son, Lucien Michel, took over the operation and made wine here until 2008. Since then it is now the 3rd generation led by Claire Fabre, who manages the production with her brother, François, who joined in 2013. Donjon owns 15 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, one hectare of which is planted with green grapes for the domain's white wine.


Le Vieux Donjon er et lille familiedomæne i Châteauneuf-du-Pape, hvor Marcel Michel begyndte at lave vin i 1966. I 1979 overtog Marcels søn, Lucien Michel, driften og lavede vin her frem til 2008. Siden da er det nu 3. generation anført af Claire Fabre, der med hård hånd styrer produktionen sammen med sin bror, François, som kom til i 2013. Donjon ejer 15 hektar i Châteauneuf-du-Pape, hvoraf den ene hektar er beplantet med grønne druer til domainets hvidvin.


General grape descriptions



Grenache


Grenache is an unlikely hero of a grape. Until recently reviled or at best ignored in much of the world, it is the grape chiefly responsible for two of the world's more celebrated reds, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and, a more recent star, Priorat.


Syrah


It is a caste originating in France but it’s produced in all over the world. It is cultivated from France to Australia (where it is the main grape), United States (Washington State and California), besides Italy (cultivated in small scale all over the country to produce some good blends), Spain (used in projects in Rioja for example), Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Uruguay, Brazil (restricted to some producers and in the northeast) In Portugal it found is home in the region of Alentejo and is the most successful foreign grape  in terms of climatic adaptation. The wines have an intense colour. The aromas are complex with very rich tannins. The most present flavours are blueberry, plum, chocolate, tobacco and black pepper but have some differences depending on the region in which they are produced,  more fruity in the warmer regions or with more spicy flavours to plum, olive and green pepper in cooler climes.


Mourvèdre


Although nowadays it travels most commonly under its French name Mourvèdre, the vine’s origins are almost certainly Spanish, probably in the Levante, where today the great majority of all the plantings in the world are concentrated. (It may take its French name from the Spanish city of Murviedro.) It needs a hot, dry climate for it is very late ripening and susceptible to both mildews and low winter temperatures so in France it can thrive only in the country’s warmest corners. It was Provence’s most planted vine before phylloxera decimated France’s vineyards and it was then largely replaced by varieties that were easier to graft on to the available rootstocks.