Domaine du Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2020
Domaine du Vieux Donjon
Vieux Donjon is one of Châteauneuf's best-kept secrets — a traditionally made wine from old vines that consistently punches above its price. The 2020 vintage channels the appellation's sun-soaked power while maintaining freshness and drinkability. This will age gracefully for a decade or more, but it's already singing.
Nose
Dark cherry and blackcurrant lead, wrapped in dried herbs and a hint of sun-warmed garrigue. There's a floral lift — violet and rose — and a subtle meaty, gamey quality that speaks to the terroir's galettes of sun-baked stones.
Palate
Full-bodied but never heavy. Ripe berry fruit is framed by fine-grained tannins and a cedar-like spice from careful élevage. Mid-palate, mint and rosemary appear alongside a savory undertow. The warmth of the 2020 vintage is well-managed.
Finish
Long and layered, with cherry, toasted herbs, and a mineral persistence that carries the wine well beyond the last sip.
- Varietal
- Grenache
- Blend
- 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre
- Vineyards
- Various parcels across Châteauneuf-du-Pape, vines averaging 60+ years old
- Alcohol
- 15%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
Food Pairing
Herb-crusted rack of lamb with ratatouille
The Michel family has farmed 37 acres of old-vine Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre in the galets roulés of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for three generations, vinifying in concrete tanks and aging in large foudres to let the terroir speak without oak interference.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso San Lorenzo 2021
Tenuta delle Terre Nere
Marc de Grazia's Terre Nere estate produces some of Etna's most expressive contrada wines, and San Lorenzo is a standout: old Nerello Mascalese vines rooted in ancient lava flows deliver a wine of rare transparency. This is not fruit-driven in the obvious sense — it is terroir speaking through fruit. Think Burgundy by way of a volcano.
Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir Sola Tierra 2021
Domaine de la Côte
Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman's Sola Tierra block sits on diatomaceous earth soils that produce some of the most transparent Pinot Noir in California. This is a wine of direction rather than power — it knows exactly where it's going and arrives with grace. If you're still looking for California Pinot that can stand alongside Burgundy Premier Cru, start here.
Château Pibran Pauillac 2019
Château Pibran
Château Pibran punches well above its price in the 2019 vintage. Owned by AXA Millésimes (who also own Pichon Baron), it benefits from the same meticulous attention and top-tier terroir. The tension between ripe fruit generosity and classic Pauillac austerity makes it both immediately enjoyable and cellaring-worthy.
Luciano Sandrone Barbera d'Alba 2021
Luciano Sandrone
Sandrone's Barbera is always a masterclass in restraint and fruit purity. The 2021 vintage delivered ideal conditions in Piedmont, and this wine captures the variety's defining bright acidity alongside ripe, generous fruit. It over-performs for Barbera d'Alba — the kind of bottle that reminds you why this grape deserves a permanent place at the table, not just as Barolo's understudy.