2005 Le Vieux Donjon, Chateauneuf-duPape
Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a great Autumn wine, and I have been drinking quite a bit of it lately. Current releases are from the fantastic 2005 vintage. It seems like in 2005 you couldn't go wrong in the Southern Rhone. No matter what style of wine you 
wanted to make, Mother Nature cooperated. So, it was of little surprise to see a Chateauneuf-du-Pape among the top three in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of the Year for 2007. I purchased three bottles of Le Vieux Donjon from Liquor Mart (Boulder,CO) a few months ago as part of a mixed case of Chateauneuf-du-Pape of my choice. By the way, if you live in the area you can get 25% off cases of wine at Liquor Mart through Decmber 31, 2007 by following this link - 25% OFF!!! I was planning on cellaring them for several years before opening a bottle as most CdP's need a few years of rest to come together and start drinking well. However, 
because it was announced today that the 2005 Le Vieux Donjon was voted the #3 wine of 2007 by Wine Spectator, I could not resist giving it a taste.
As in 2003, 2005 was very warm in the Southern Rhone. The wines tend to be big, muscular, rich and modern. In 2005 Le Vieux Donjon was able to take advantage of these growing conditions and produced a wine with enough fruit to reflect the heat of the growing season, but enough restraint to show that it is a traditional wine at the core.
because it was announced today that the 2005 Le Vieux Donjon was voted the #3 wine of 2007 by Wine Spectator, I could not resist giving it a taste.As in 2003, 2005 was very warm in the Southern Rhone. The wines tend to be big, muscular, rich and modern. In 2005 Le Vieux Donjon was able to take advantage of these growing conditions and produced a wine with enough fruit to reflect the heat of the growing season, but enough restraint to show that it is a traditional wine at the core.
Tasting Notes: The 2005 Le Vieux Donjon is made from 75 percent Grenache, 15 percent Syrah and 10 percent Mourvedre and Cinsault. It is surprisingly drinkable now, but this one will be a stunner in just a few short years. It has a nose of cherries, raspberries, roasted meats, and white truffles. The palate reveals notes of cherries, strawberries, pepper, olives, licorice and Provencal herbs. It has medium body, but its structure gives it a sense of weight and depth one would not expect from looking at the wine in the glass. Made with traditional winemaking techniques, including cement fermentation tanks and aged foudres, the 2005 Le Vieux Donjon is a great Chateauneuf-du-Pape from a great vintage, and a wonderful representation of the appellation. 92 pts. find it
