Le Vieux Donjon Red Rhone Blend Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2008

Beautiful, silky Châteauneuf terroir aromas: leather, game, truffles, plum, dried herbs, lead pencil. It all swirls around in the palate, a deeply satisfying blend that surprises and brings to mind something as simple as a walk in the country on a rainy autumn day. Supple tannins on the balanced finish. Drink now through 2010.

Full ruby-red. Aromatic nose of peppery red fruits, with a hint of roasted ripeness. Sweetly penetrating in the mouth, with firm acids giving the spice cake flavors excellent verve and thrust. Not especially fat, but ripely tannic, subtle and long, and built to age. Very much in the fresh style of the vintage.

The outstanding 1998 Le Vieux Donjon could turn out to be a spectacular Châteauneuf-du-Pape that rivals the dazzlingly sumptuous 1990. The color is a saturated ruby/purple, and the wine is obviously made from extremely low yields and/or old vines. Knock-out aromas of smoke, spice, licorice, dried herbs, and black fruit jumps from the glass of this full-bodied powerfully constructed, unctuously-textured wine. A riveting mid-palate suggests superb intensity, concentration, and potential longevity. Think of this wine as blood of the Grenache! Its low acidity gives it a forward appeal, which will serve well when released. It also possesses the power, stirring, and concentration to last for 15+ years. A blockbuster!

Deep ruby cast. Moderately full-bodied. Full acidity. Moderately extracted. Moderately tannic. Pepper, red fruits, minerals. Engagingly aromatic, with a lean and firm quality that reveals impressive, mineral depth and persistence through the finish. A "traditional" style in the best sense of the word.

The two component parts of the 2000 Châteauneuf du Pape were tasted. The first reveals fabulous concentration, large-scaled, blockbuster power, and notes of pepper, leather, tapenade, and blackberry/cherry fruit. The other cuvée was more opulent, but just as full-bodied, emphasizing pure black fruits and less spice/roasted notes. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2018.

The 2000 and 1999 Châteauneuf de Papes nearly rival their superb 1998. Like most Châteauneufs, these wines see no new oak, and are generally backward upon release, needing (particularly in the most concentrated years) 5-6 years of cellaring. One of the stars of the vintage, Le Vieux Donjon's 1999 Châteauneuf de Pape offers soaring aromas of barbecue spice, licorice, herbs, tar, black cherries, and blackberries. This powerful, rich, full-bodied effort is more up-front and accessible than most vintages, but there is no compromise in the richness and mouthfilling characteristics consistently offered by this estate. Drink this sexy, compelling 1999 between 2004-2020.

Full deep red. Highly nuanced nose combines roasted, liqueur-like red fruits, smoke, truffle and spice cake; this reminded me of Vega Sicilia! Then silky but vinous and firm; a bit subdued today but boasts fruit intensity and incipient complexity. Finishes long and subtle, with ripe, suave tannins and a late note of pepper. This should develop beautifully with bottle aging.