Chateauneuf du Pape 2005 Réservé - Domaine de la Vieille Julienne

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Great Rhône wine

100/100 Parker

When to drink this wine? Drink now or cellar for over a decade.

The 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Réserve, which marks the start of a series of wines I consider to be the best, contains a little more Grenache than usual and boasts an alcohol content of over 16%; you wouldn't know it by tasting it, as it's perfectly balanced. Inky-purple in color, it possesses magnificent freshness and concentration, with notes of cassis, liquid violet, licorice, crushed stone and charcuterie soaring from the glass. Like the 09 and 06 vintages, it boasts outstanding concentration, thrilling mid-palate depth and solid structure. Give it a handful more years and it will be one of the most enduring Châteauneufs ever.

• Grape variety: 90% Grenache, 10% Syrah
• Age of vines: 50+ years
• Vinification: Traditional with indigenous yeasts. Little sulfur added, total destemming.
• Aging : In old barrels and foudre.
• Serving : 17° C
• Alcohol volume: 16%.

The domaine says: “It's not easy to explain why ‘Réservé’ is so special. Old vines, low yields and a natural approach are the foundations, but it's in the microclimate of the northern slope of the northern part of Châteauneuf du Pape that it forges its character. In mid-August, when the vineyard is deserted, I like to wander through the vines on the “Trois Sources” slope, observing their expressions, tasting the berries. At that moment, I have to be receptive and appreciate all the details that, in the context of certain vintages, make certain vines show particular expressions. In this case only, these hundred-year-old vines of Grenache (90%), but also Syrah, Cinsault and Counoise will be identified and vinified separately to produce the Réservé.” Jean-Paul Daumen