Jean-Paul Daumen’s ancestors purchased this domain in 1905. Back then the entire production was sold to negociants. Starting in the 1960’s a small amount of wine was bottled, mostly for family and friends. Jean Paul’s father Maxime Daumen built cellars with new foudres to make and bottle more wine. Over the past decade Jean-Paul has emerged as one of the most compelling winemakers in all of France. Taking advantage of his ancient vines in the northern sector of Chateauneuf du Pape, and biodynamically farming the entire vineyard, he has produced extraordinary wines since 1998 that have received massive aclaim from the worlds most respected critics. The domaine covers 30 hectares of vineyard that average over 60 years old. The parcels of Grenache that go into the Reserve bottling of Chateauneuf du Pape are over 100 years old. Jean-Paul’s winemaking philosophy is quite simple - old vines, tiny yields of around 20 hl/ha, no SO2 during vinification, aging in neutral tanks or wood and bottling without fining or filtering. Chateauneuf du Papes have come and gone. These wines are truly gems and benchmarks of the appelation.
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne’s wines are not released until Jean-Paul feels they are approaching their peak. This means that his wines age at the cellar and come into the market years after most other Chateauneuf du Papes have come and gone.
The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Reserve is another magical wine, and I might have rated this cuvée a perfect score more than any other Southern Rhône. Unquestionably in the same realm as the 2017, 2016, 2010, 2005, 2003, and 2001, it has an incredible, full-bodied, massive style that somehow stays perfectly balanced, with flawless integration of its fruit, tannins, acidity, and alcohol. Lots of red, blue, and black fruits, loamy earth, Asian spice, licorice, and violet nuances emerge from the glass, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, building yet polished tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s a sexier, more opulent wine than the Les Hauts-Lieux release yet has the same perfect tannins that are so rare to find in the vintage. This required at least 4-5 years of bottle age and will drink brilliantly for 20-25+ years.
~ 100 Points Jeb Dunnuck
Winemaker Notes
What makes the Réservé so singular? Very old vines, low yields and a natural winemaking approach makes the bases, but it's in the microclimate of the north facing terroir of slopes that it forges its character.
Professional Ratings
100
Jeb Dunnuck
95
Decanter
About the Producer
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne is headed by Jean-Paul Daumen. The property has been in his family since 1905. However, the estate dates back to the 17th Century. At first, like many small producers in the Southern Rhone Valley, the Daumen family harvested the fruit and sold it to negociants who bottled and sold the wine under various names. In the late 1960s, Maxine Daumen began bottling the wines himself.
In 1990, Jean-Paul Daumen, following in his family’s footsteps, started working at Domaine Vieille Julienne. Further continuing the legacy, Jean-Paul’s son, Antoine Daumen, is being trained to eventually take over the estate.
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne straddles the appellations of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône in the Southern Rhône. The estate is located just three miles east of the Rhone and 70 miles northwest of the Mediterranean port of Marseille.
Jean-Paul is a perfectionist and practices biodynamic farming, both to respect the environment and to produce wines that reflect every nuance of the perfect sandy, rock-strewn terroir. He seeks low yields within the estate’s 20 hectares (50 acres) of vines, which lie in a single, north-facing block.
Traditional grape varieties of the region (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise, and Cinsault) are field-blended and not separated by variety. Harvesting is entirely by hand, allowing a first and second selection. The vines are an average of 60 years old, with some Grenache vines that are over 100.
All grapes are co-fermented and aging takes place in a combination of foudres and old, oak barrels. Vinification is traditional and fermentation is natural, without any additions. Wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
