Domaine de la Vieille Julienne - Cotes du Rhone "Lieu Dit Clavin" Blanc Domaine de la Vieille Julienne - Cotes du Rhone "Lieu Dit Clavin" Blanc

Jean-Paul Daumen took over from his father in 1992 and has since become one of the most revered, inventive and respected producers in France. He is a thoughtful, intelligent and deeply caring vigneron, managing the beautiful estate of Domaine de la Vieille Julienne like a philosopher or poet. Daumen farms 10ha of biodynamic Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with an average vine age of 70 years. There is a stonethrow distance between his Châteauneuf-du-Pape & Côtes du Rhône appellations (3 metres to be precise), so it is not a surprise to Rhône lovers that both display the power and structure the region’s best wines are known for. Domaine de la Vieille Julienne is located in the northern end of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, in sector known as Le Grès. There are now 32 hectares of vineyards and the average age of the vines is high at around 50 years. The Châteauneuf is typically a blend of Grenache (60%), Syrah (15%), Mourvèdre (10%), Counoise (10%) and Cinsault (5%). Jean Paul has adopted a thoroughly modern approach to winemaking with the entire crop now being destemmed and each of the separate grape varieties are vinified separately. The large oak foudres have been replaced with small oak barrels although Jean-Paul believes in "emphasising the fruit and the balance more than the wood". All his wines are bottled without filtration.