WTN: Donjonson

[David M. Bueker]

• 2001 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (12/26/2025)
  A half bottle from my late father’s cellar, this was actually a stocking stuffer from 2003 or 2004. It was still in the cellar, hiding behind a jumble of random things. I found it, wondered for a few minutes how it had been buried, and decided to have it with dinner. The cork was perfect, and the wine lived up to the promise of the closure. Dusty red fruit, warm herbs, saddle leather - classically Chateauneuf. Not much in the way of structure, but that was hardly surprising given the format. Glad to have had the chance to drink it, while simultaneously wishing it had been consumed earlier.

Nice when a 'find' works out, especially when the small format might indicate against that result. I'm a big fan of Donjon and have more of it in the cellar than any other CNduP. Always reliable and your note will inspire me to get out a bottle of the 2001 sometime soon!

[David M. Bueker]

I have some 750s. Last opened one in 2023, and it was amazing.

[Jenise]

Always reliable and your note will inspire me to get out a bottle of the 2001 sometime soon!

Always? Surely you didn't mean to include the Cambie years.

Always reliable and your note will inspire me to get out a bottle of the 2001 sometime soon!

Always? Surely you didn't mean to include the Cambie years.

I was wondering that myself.

[David M. Bueker]

I sadly have a few bottles of the 2007. Maybe I will open one sometime soon. Perhaps April 1.

Always reliable and your note will inspire me to get out a bottle of the 2001 sometime soon!

Always? Surely you didn't mean to include the Cambie years.

Ah - you refer to the years of 'Californication'? I have been drinking mostly earlier vintages but we should open a bottle of, say, 1998 along side a 2007 some time (have a case of the latter I haven't touched yet).

[Jenise]

When we did that almost 30-year vertical a few years back, in my recollection most if not all vintages after 2006 were yuck (too ripe, overoaked or just generally not interesting). I bought the '17 before that happened; haven't opened one yet but I have no confidence.

I bought two of the 2007 Donjon, and the first one I tried was a hot, overripe, nasty mess. I'm leaving the other bottle in the cellar in the deranged hope it won't be as bad. There are many very positive notes in CT, but the bottle I tried was hideous.

I have read good thing about the 2016 and 2017 so let's hope that the style is normalizing part way between tradition and new style.

PS - my last Donjon event 5 years ago - https://www.wineberserkers.com/t/tn-vie ... cal/157620

[Jenise]

Bill, my comments concerning the '07 at that same event:

2007 – When they were released, I went to a tasting of better '07 CdP's and roundly despised them all but for the Donjon and Vieux Telegraphe, which I bought but haven't touched. On Tuesday night, as I suspected might happen among a group from saner vintages, the heat of the vintage is now obvious it didn't seem at that other tasting. Nose is dominated by the smell of roasting coffee beans with a bit of asphalt in the overtly ripe fruit. Did not like.

2008 – I preferred the 06 to the 08, but agree this was refreshing after the '07.

2009 – This had a lot of the same hot vintage aspects as the '07, but in minor ways that allowed it to present as balanced, integrated and likable.

Your case of '07s might be in trouble.