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CDP Le Vieux Donjon, Le Vieux Donjon (Lucien Michel) 2005

Tasting Notes

As one would expect, the 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape is formidably tannic, backward, and in need of 5-6 years of bottle age. Its dark ruby/purple color is accompanied by classic notes of sweet cherries, roasted herbs, meat juices, forest floor, and resiny underbrush. Deep, full-bodied, backward, and serious, this is a wine for patient connoisseurs. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020+. An estate for connoisseurs with cold cellars, these traditionally made Chateauneuf du Papes rarely strut their stuff until they have been in the bottle for 5-7 years. Moreover, this is one of the few estates that has resisted the current fashion for producing old vine cuvees.

92
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (173), October 2007

juicy and spicy, with lots of raspberry ganache and blueberry notes offset by hints of mulled spices, black tea and fig cake. really picks up steam on the finish, with a racy, mouthwatering minerality. should age beautifully. the michels went back to using stems in 2005, after dropping them in '04 - and the great, rugged texture is back too. drink now through 2025.

95
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Insider (3.18), September 2007

The 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape has a more saturated dark ruby/purple color and an elegant nose of licorice, roasted meat, sweet blackberries and cherries, as well as cedar and spice. The wine is medium to full-bodied, has good acidity, and seems to convey a sense of both elegance and power with beautiful balance and purity. This wine will need 2-4 years of bottle age and should drink well for up to 15 or so years.

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.

90/93
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (169), February 2007
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.