Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Hauts-Lieux
WHY WE LOVE IT
- This is the highest elevation and the most sheltered part of the terroir of slopes.
- Marlstone soils and shallow safres covered with quartzite pebbles are entirely suitable for Mourvedre.
- Under the tense tannins, wines are vigorous with huge elegance.
Varietal Composition: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Counois
Elaboration: All the traditional and original grape varieties are selected, reproduced and planted using complantation (different kind of grape-varieties mixed in the same plot). Harvests are done entirely done by hand, allowing a first selection in the vineyard and a second selection when the grapes (transported in small boxes), arrive at the winery. The vinification continues to be traditional and the fermentation is natural, without any addition. The priceless natural yeasts located in the pruine (berry), reveals both singularity of each terroirs and single expression for each vintage.
PRESS
2017 – 94 Vinous
2018 – 95 Vinous
2021 – 93 Jeb Dunnuck
2022 – 95-97 Jeb Dunnuck
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne is headed by Jean-Paul Daumen. The property has been in his family since 1905. However, the estate dates back to the 17th Century. At first, like many small producers in the Southern Rhone Valley, the Daumen family harvested the fruit and sold it to negociants who bottled and sold the wine under various names. In the late 1960s, Maxine Daumen began bottling the wines himself.
In 1990, Jean-Paul Daumen, following in his family’s footsteps, started working at Domaine Vieille Julienne. Further continuing the legacy, Jean-Paul’s son, Antoine Daumen, is being trained to eventually take over the estate.