The Old Donjon - Châteauneuf du Pape red 2021
The Vieux Donjon is located in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region, in the Rhône Valley. In the 1900s, the Michel family produced grapes which they sold in bulk to merchants as well as in barrels. The modern Domaine was established by Lucien and Marie-José Michel in the late 1970s, making it young by European standards, but around a third of the vines at Vieux Donjon are over 100 years old. When they started, 95% of their wine production was sold for export. Today, the vineyard has a little more than 15 hectares of vines cultivated organically by their children, Claire and François Michel . These are almost exclusively planted with red grape varieties; they only produce one red vintage, and one micro-cuvée white.
Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of Grenache (75%), Syrah (10%), Mourvèdre (10%) and Cinsault (5%) . Half of the harvest is destemmed and the winemaking is traditional. All grape varieties, except Mourvèdre, are fermented together in concrete vats with native yeasts. Maceration lasts 25 days then the wine is aged in barrels for 18 months .
Grape varieties: 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault