France · Rhone · Southern Rhone · Chateauneuf du Pape White · Still · wine-wine · 1330614
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| Vintage | Packing | Offers | Bids | Market price | WA rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 94 | |
| 2017 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 92 | |
| 2018 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 5334.72 | 90 |
| 2019 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 5788.68 | 93 |
| 2020 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 5675.16 | 89 |
| 2022 | 6 x 75cl | 1 | 0 |
Rating: 89 –89
After adoring the 2019 version of this wine, I confess to being somewhat perplexed by the showing of Vieux Donjon's 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc. A 50-50 blend of Clairette and Roussanne traditionally made and matured in stainless steel, I thought I might have detected hints of pencil shavings and/or crushed stone accenting the pineapple and pear fruit. It's medium-bodied and crisp, with some citrus-pith notes on the finish.
Rating: 93 –93
Hints of white peach, pineapple, melon and lime appear on the nose of the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc, a tank-aged blend of Clairette and Roussanne. It's medium to full-bodied, showing some warmer, riper notes of peach on the mid-palate, then balancing those with hints of white pepper and citrus on the long, mouthwatering finish.
Rating: 82 –82
This is one of my favorite estates and I have been an admirer as well as purchaser of Vieux Donjon's 1983, 1985, 1989, and 1990 (the best wine I have tasted from this property). Vieux Donjon produced a tiny quantity of white wine in 1993. The one-dimensional 1993 Chateauneuf du Pape blanc is a straightforward, compact, well-made wine that should be drunk over the next year. Importer: Alain Junguenet Selections, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; (908) 654-6173
Rating: 94 –94
A 50-50 blend of Clairette and Roussanne, all made and matured in stainless steel, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a classic example of Vieux Donjon's white. Scents of tangerine, pineapple and white peach are tinged with just a hint of honeyed richness that somehow enhances rather than compromises the overall sense of freshness. It's medium to full-bodied in the mouth, with a silky texture and ample length.
Rating: 94 –94
Boasting harmonious, honeyed melon and pineapple notes, the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc—a blend of Clairette and Roussanne—is medium to full-bodied, rounded and expansive on the palate. It exhibits ample concentration, its weight and flesh framed by bright lime notes and a long, plush, elegant finish.
Rating: 91 –91
The 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc is another outstanding white from this estate. Made from equal parts Clairette and Roussanne raised all in stainless steel, it gives up classy notes of honeysuckle, tangerine, lemon rind and a kiss of minerality. Bright, fresh and elegant, it continues to gain depth and richness with air, has plenty of fruit and a great finish. Drink it over the coming couple of years.
Rating: 94 –94
Another terrific vintage from the cuvée, the 2015 Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc (50/50 Clairette and Roussanne aged in stainless steel) is a rich, voluptuous effort that has remarkable purity in its citrus, sappy herbs and crushed rock-like minerality. It’s already beautiful, but will easily keep for 3-4 years.
Rating: 92 –92
Vieux Donjon's 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a 50-50 blend of Clairette and Roussanne, fermented and aged (briefly) in stainless steel. It's medium to full-bodied, with a plump, engaging mouthfeel and bright pineapple and lime flavors that linger on the finish, picking up notes of citrus zest. Drink it over the next couple of years for its freshness, or do as Claire Michel suggests and hold it for 10+ years. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
Rating: 90 –90
A tank-aged blend of Clairette and Roussanne, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is medium to full-bodied, with a plump, appealing texture and modest flavors of pear and pineapple. It's a delicious, easy-drinking white Rhône to drink over the next few years, seemingly without the gravitas of some other recent vintages.
Rating: 94 –94
Three terrific wines include the estate’s finest white Chateauneuf du Pape to date, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc. A blend of equal parts Roussanne and Clairette, this sensational white wine boasts a delicate color along with a big, sweet nose of rose petals, tangerine oil, honeyed citrus and quince. This full-bodied, crisp, well-balanced effort displays good acidity as well as a touch of minerality. This is a super white to drink over the next 4-5 years although my instincts suggest it will last longer. Now that Lucien Michel has inched his way into retirement, his young daughter, Claire, who did an apprenticeship at Napa’s Harlan Estate, is in full control of the winemaking (another example of a woman who has taken charge of a famous estate). Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173
Rating: 90 –90
An outstanding white, Michel's 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc offers up ripe golden fruits, dried pineapple, flower and citrus (which becomes more and more apparent with air) to go with a medium-bodied, fresh and lively feel on the palate. It-s a delicious, pure and nicely focused wine to drink over the coming couple of years. Drink now-2015. One of my favorite estates, these classic, textbook wines are made by talented Claire Michel, who has recently taken over the running of the estate from her parents. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173
Rating: 93 –93
Claire Michel’s 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc is a beauty! Made from equal parts Clairette and Roussanne, all from the Cabrieres lieu-dit, and aged all in stainless steel, it boasts gorgeous white currants, lemon blossom and crushed-rock-like aromatics. Medium-bodied, textured and yet focused and classy, it’s a superb bottle of white that will drink nicely for 2-3 years.
Rating: 89 –89
The elegant, crisp, medium-bodied 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape blanc offers hints of rose petals and honeyed citrus. It is best consumed over the next 2-3 years. Readers who run across a bottle of the 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc should not hesitate to snatch it up as it is the finest white Vieux Donjon has yet produced. While remarkably fresh and lively (which goes against some of the misconceptions about this vintage) it is a powerful white with amazing finesse. The estate now utilizes about one-third Roussanne in the blend, which provides plenty of complexity and aromatics. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173
Rating: 90 –90
The 2005 white Chateauneuf du Pape has copious pear and honeyed citrus in a medium-bodied style. One of the most traditionally run estates of Chateauneuf du Pape, and consistently producers of excellent wines, Lucien and Marie-Joseph Michel consistently make the best selections in the cellar, and only bottle one Chateauneuf du Pape, resisting the current fashion for producing cuvees of old vines. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173
Rating: 92 –92
The finest white they have made, the 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape blanc (equal parts Roussanne, Clairette, and Grenache) sees no malolactic, but is a fragrant, floral-scented effort with medium to full body as well as oodles of fruit and charm. Enjoy it over the next 1-2 years. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173
Rating: 94 –94
The attractive nose of apricot and orange blossom pulls you into this ripe and substantial, yet lively and delicate, white Chateauneuf. I love the mouthfeel of this graceful wine and the way the fine tannins support the long finish. A cuvee of 50% clairette and 50% roussanne, which were co-fermented and matured in tank and bottled in February after the vintage to retain freshness. Drink or hold.