Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhône, Rhône, France
Perhaps the best young Châteauneuf-du-Pape that I’ve ever tasted, this extraordinary wine has power, but also elegance; purity, but also enormity; sweetness, but also umami. The aromas are classic for the appellation, with sweet blue fruit, Turkish delight, soy, coffee, heady garrigue and smoked bacon. But it’s the palate that steals the show, gobsmackingly gorgeous, with enormous presence and a near-perfect harmony between intense, dark, sweet fruit from the century-old Grenache, and bitter coffee, orange peel and a thousand other flavours that carry through to the finish. Super strong tannins at the moment; this wine will age superbly. The finish is incredibly long. They only make one cuvée each of red and white at Vieux Donjon - no high end bottling - and it shows in the incredible quality of this wine, which is up there with the very best.
Perhaps the best young Châteauneuf-du-Pape that I’ve ever tasted, this extraordinary wine has power, but also elegance; purity, but also enormity; sweetness, but also umami. The aromas are classic for the appellation, with sweet blue fruit, Turkish delight, soy, coffee, heady garrigue and smoked bacon. But it’s the palate that steals the show, gobsmackingly gorgeous, with enormous presence and a near-perfect harmony between intense, dark, sweet fruit from the century-old Grenache, and bitter coffee, orange peel and a thousand other flavours that carry through to the finish. Super strong tannins at the moment; this wine will age superbly. The finish is incredibly long. They only make one cuvée each of red and white at Vieux Donjon - no high end bottling - and it shows in the incredible quality of this wine, which is up there with the very best.
Sep 24th, 2023
