About the producer
Despite our already large portfolio of Châteauneuf estates, we did not hesitate when we had the opportunity to add Jean Paul Daumen’s wines to our list! These are very serious offerings, possessing a class so coveted by many other producers. With 10 hectares of vines located in the very northern part of Châteauneuf du Pape (Le Grès) and 5 hectares of Côtes du Rhône on the lieudit ‘Clavin’, Jean Paul’s wines are never crafted in the blockbuster style favoured by so many others during the past decade. Vieille Julienne’s wines are completely unique and hugely sought after!
This family owned estate has been in the hands of the Daumen clan since 1905. Jean Paul took over from his father in 1990 – the subsequent rise in quality of wine from this domaine has been outstanding. There are now 32 hectares of vineyards with an average age of the vines at around 50 years. Many are planted following a strict selection massale.
Jean Paul’s philosophy is “that the vine and the soil are the essentials”. He has therefore chosen a fully ecological viticultural approach. He has abandoned all use of chemical fertilisers and only uses sulphur very sparingly.
All grapes are harvested by hand and sorted twice. Only indigenous yeasts are used. Fermentation temperature is monitored and controlled. Wines are gravity fed into barrels, where they age for 12 months after malolactic fermentation has finished. Bottling is carried out with neither fining nor filtration.
Jancis Robinson (Purple Pages jancisrobinson.com):
Cask sample. Medicinal, lifted, aromatic and yet there is a lot of fruit density on the nose too. Delicious bramble fruit with a just-picked freshness. Very firm but fine, sandy tannic grip. Powerful and long-lived. (RH) Points: 17.5. Date Tasted: 10/10/2017Jeb Dunnuck (jebdunnuck.com):
A true “wow” wine, the deep, concentrated 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Hauts-Lieux (there's 20% Mourvèdre) offers awesome notes of blackcurrants, smoked meats, graphite, crushed rocks, and licorice. Extraordinarily concentrated, perfectly balanced, structured, and long, it's another sensational wine from this estate. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will cruise for 15-20 after that. (Jeb Dunnuck) Points: 99. Date Tasted: 28/08/2018
Regions Vintage Report:
“After an exceptional 2015 vintage it’s difficult to believe that 2016 could match up to let alone deliver wines of superior quality. It was quite different in the North with fresher, fragrant whites and more subtle and elegant reds. But for once the South is where sublime wines were produced with some of the most impressive wines I have ever tasted! And to make things better they are not overly rich or heavy, but rather exceptionally balanced. Volumes are reasonable, especially compared to 2017 where quantities are very often 50% down on average”
Christian Honorez Director
The North Following the superlative 2015 vintage it would be easy to downgrade 2016 wines. Of course, they do not have the intensity and ripeness of last year’s wines but they make up for it with beautiful fruit and great balance. One does not always look for muscle and structure in the North and many beautiful wines are produced in balanced vintages like 2016. Do not get me wrong, 2016 isn’t a weak and lean vintage, far from it, but the best wines are those capturing the essence of the Syrah grown in that part of France; perfumed, elegant and savoury. Moreover, of course a slightly cooler year benefitted the whites that are incredibly perfumed, rich but not overly ripe. The South It was difficult not to notice the broad smiles and the joy after the 2016 vintage. Two magnificent vintages producing decent yields will certainly help the producer’s cash flow, especially after a few challenging vintages and the prospect of notably reduced volumes in 2017. The whites are rich, perfumed with enough freshness to carry the ripeness through. Many of them will evolve beautifully for several years, but of course, the ‘piece de resistance’ are the magnificent reds. Ripe, juicy, with just enough structure, elegant tannins and a good dose of freshness; I cannot remember having tasted so many great wines from a single vintage. The easiest ones are so appealing that I wanted to decant them into a bottle to drink the same day, despite knowing that they will last and improve for many years. Some wines are a touch more austere and will require 2 or 3 years cellaring, but for many of us the problem will be to resist the charm and appeal of these young wines. I will certainly buy as much as possible to enjoy over the next 10+ years.
Christian Honorez, Director November 2017
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