Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - $69.99

Wine Details

Vintage: 2007
Price: $69.99
Producer: Le Vieux Donjon
Region: Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Varietal: Rhone Blend - Red
Container Size: 750 ML
Flavors: raspberry, tar
  • Award Winning
  • Red Wine
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Expert Ratings

Ratings   Vintage Source Flavors
NatDecants - 93 Details: 2005 Michel Lucien Propriétaire-Récoltant LE Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-Du-Pape AC, France – Rhône: VC: 2005 is considered one of the best vintages in Burgundy’s history and this traditionally-run Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate consistently makes excellent wines. My note: Love the black pepper and black cherry notes in this full-bodied wine. Pair with: steak, stew. 700922 14% D 750 mL $56.40 Score: 93/100. 2005 NatDecants
WineSpectator - 94 Details: Tight on the nose, but with a great beam of red and black fruits, as well as hoisin sauce, olive, cocoa, tar and raspberry ganache. Long, lush finish pumps out darker and darker fruit. Has the racy profile of the vintage, but its range sets it apart. Best from 2007 through 2026. 4,500 cases made. –JM 2004 WineSpectator raspberry, tar
WineSpectator - 93 Details: Hard as nails now, this is packed with ultraripe plum and blackberry fruit all supported by brawny, muscular tannins that romp through a licorice- and tar-filled finish. May be ferocious for some, but those who sock it away in the cellar will be rewarded. Best from 2008 through 2025. 5,000 cases made. –JM 2003 WineSpectator blackberry, plum
WineSpectator - 92 Details: Supple and full of ripe, beautiful black fruit, this Provençal seducer coats the palate with its silky texture, delivering lavender, wet earth, mineral, smoke, lead pencil, plum and sweet tannins. Only on the finish does the tannic edge suggest short-term cellaring, but tempting now with steak or lamb. Another great achievement from Le Vieux Donjon. Drink now through 2012. 4,165 cases made. –PM 2001 WineSpectator black fruit, earth, lavender, lead pencil, mineral, plum, smoke
WineSpectator - 92 Details: Beautiful, silky Châteauneuf terroir aromas: leather, game, truffles, plum, dried herbs, lead pencil. It all swirls around in the palate, a deeply satisfying blend that surprises and harks back to something as simple as a walk in the country on a rainy autumn day. Supple tannins on the balanced finish. Drink now through 2010. 4,165 cases made. –PM 2000 WineSpectator game, herbs, lead pencil, leather, plum
WineSpectator - 80 Details: A dark Châteauneuf that has been boosted by oak aging. Full-bodied, with a hard edge, but also showing black fruit. Lacks the harmony you expect from a top wine, though, as the oak turns tough on the finish. Drink now. 4,165 cases made. –PM 1999 WineSpectator black fruit, oak
WineSpectator - 97 Details: An explosive and racy Châteauneuf, bursting with roasted game, wild berry, grilled bread, dark chocolate and espresso character. Ripe and sweet-tasting, with enough opulent fruit to balance the firm tannin structure that rises like an impenetrable wall on the spectacular finish. Best from 2005 through 2020. 4,165 cases made. (PM) 1998 WineSpectator dark chocolate, espresso, game, wild berry
1995 WineSpectator
Tastings - 90 Details: Deep ruby cast. Moderately full-bodied. Full acidity. Moderately extracted. Moderately tannic. Pepper, red fruits, minerals. Lean and firm. Impressive minerally depth and persistence. A traditional style in the best sense of the word 1995 Tastings minerally, minerals, pepper, red fruits
WineSpectator - 97 Details: Gorgeous nose of crushed berries and juniper draws you in, while a lush palate of still-youthful plum, red currant and blackberry fruit envelops you. Then an undertow of roasted game bird, soppressata, tar and well-aged balsamic with a touch of sweetness carry the finish. Awesome showing.--1995 Châteauneuf-du-Pape retrospective. Drink now through 2020. 3,330 cases made. –JM 1995 WineSpectator berries, blackberry, game, plum, red currant, tar
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Food Pairings

Category Pairing
Cheese Mozzarella, Sharp Cheddar, Feta, Parmesan, Brie, Soft Pungent Cheese
Red Meat Goulash, Grilled Beef, Hamburgers, Beef Stew, Barbeque Pulled-Pork or Ribs, Pork Chops, Lamb, Lamb Shish Kabobs, Goulash, Game, Rabbit, Farmed Venison, Wild Game - Elk, Caribou, Moose, Venison, Grilled Sausage, Casseroles / Hot Dish
Poultry & Eggs Coq Au Vin, Roast Chicken with Herbs, Roast Turkey, Duck Confit, Glazed Duck, Game Birds, Pheasant
Vegetables Lentils, Mushrooms, Olives, Black, Ratatouille
Fish or Shellfish Tuna, Mahi-Mahi
Sauces Tomato Sauce, Red Wine Sauce
Herbs & Spices Bay Leaf, Juniper, Lavender, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme

Awards and Accolades

  Name Vintage
Award Winner Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2007 2005
Award Winner Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2006 2004

Wine Terms

Name Value
Châteauneuf-du-Pape (shah toe nuf doo pahp)—Situated on the sun-baked southern reaches of the Rhone Valley, this appellation grows a great number of grape varieties, but is best known for its full-bodied dry reds. As many as thirteen different kinds of grape can end up in one bottle, although most vintners use only three or four, especially Syrah, Mourvédre, and Grenache.
France France is the standard bearer for all the world’s wines, with regard to the types of grapes that are used to make wine and with the system of defining and regulating winemaking. Its Appellation d’Origine Controlee, or AOC system, is the legislative model for most other European countries. Most French wines are named after places. The system is hierarchical; generally the smaller and more specific the region for which a wine is named, the higher its rank. There are four possible ranks of French wine, and each is always stated on the label: Appellation Contrôlée (or AOC), Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (or VDQS); Vin de pays, or country wine; and Vin de table. France has five major wine regions, although there are several others that make interesting wines. The three major regions for red wine are Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhone; for white wines, the regions are Burgundy, the Loire and Alsace. Each region specialized in certain grape varieties for its wines, based on climate, soil, and local tradition. Two other significant French wine regions are Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, both in the south of France. Cahors, in the southwest of the country, produces increasingly good wines.
Rhône Valley Located in southeastern France, between the city of Lyon and the region of Provence, this area’s sunny and hot growing season is reflected in its full-bodied wines. In the southern Rhone, the Grenache grape makes wines that are high in alcohol and low in tannin. The most famous wine from the southern Rhone is Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This blended red wine can contain as many as thirteen grape varieties, but most often includes Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah. It is full-bodied, rich and ripe. In the northern Rhone, most wines are made from the Syrah grape and are rich and full-bodied. Two of the best are Côte Rôtie, which is soft, fruity, and can carry the flavors of green olives and raspberries, and Red Hermitage, which is a complex, tannic wine that should develop for several years, and can be aged for thirty years or more.

Tasting Notes

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