2016 Vielle Julienne Chateauneuf du Pape les Hauts-Lieux

2016 Vielle Julienne Chateauneuf du Pape les Hauts-Lieux

2016 Vielle Julienne Chateauneuf du Pape les Hauts-Lieux A true ‘wow’ 2016 wine, the deep, concentrated 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Hauts-Lieux (there’s 20% Mourvèdre) offers awesome notes of blackcurrants, smoked meats, graphite, crushed rocks, and licorice. Extraordinarily concentrated, perfectly balanced, structured, and long, it’s another sensational wine from this estate. 99pt JD

Intense, featuring a hefty core of dark currant, fig and blackberry confiture flavors, meshed with bittersweet cocoa, smoldering tobacco and warm earth notes. Tarry grip supports the finish, while a mouthwatering garrigue streak drives through. (JM) 96pts WS

Brilliant ruby-red. A highly perfumed bouquet features fresh, mineral-tinged red berry liqueur, lavender and incense scents, and mineral and Asian spice flourishes add complexity. Pliant and seamless on the palate, showing a superb blend of density and energy to the sweet Chambord, cherry, floral pastille and spicecake flavors. Fine-grained, building tannins give shape to the strikingly long, vibrant finish, which emphatically echoes the red fruit and floral notes. 95pts Vinous

Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Chateauneuf

The Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Chateauneuf is one of my all-time favorite Neufs and one of the greatest in the world. Over the past decade Jean-Paul Daumen has emerged as one of the most compelling winemakers in all of France. Daumen is one of the most meticulous viticulturists and winemakers in Chateauneuf du Pape. Taking advantage of his ancient vines in the Northern sector of Chateauneuf, and biodynamically farming the entire vineyard, he has produced extraordinary wines dating back to 1998 that have massive acclaim from the world’s most respected critics.. His winemaking philosophy is quite simple- old vines, tiny yields, no SO2 during vinification, neutral and no fining or filtration. His wines are benchmarks from the appellation.

We have secured a tiny amount of his great wine the 2016 Vielle Julienne Chateauneuf du Pape les Hauts-Lieux which received a monster 99pts by JD who refers to the wine as ‘A true “WOW” wine’. This is a wine of opulence and concentration, pure decadence and definitely full bodied. The wine is specially selected from Jean Paul’s three finest high altitude vineyard. This wine is at the top of the Chateauneuf pyramid matching pure power with spectacular seamlessness. The wine is absolutely insane, lucky to taste last night. Also with the wines time in the bottle and a good breathe, is starting open up and to display all its glory. Very little available and truly special!