Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 1998
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Wine Spectator
This shows the power and finesse of Grenache in all its glory, with layers of ripe, seductive blackberry and fig compote, cocoa, hoisin sauce and spice cake backed by muscular grip and a long, tangy, mineral-driven finish that shows great cut. This is bigger and longer than the Vieilles Vignes right now, but also more accessible.--1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape retrospective. Drink now through 2027. 350 cases made.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve is a fair step back from the incredible 2001, 2003 and 2005, yet is still a beautiful 1998 that's drinking at point. Black cherry liqueur, candied licorice, burnished wood, liquid smoke and cured meats all give way to a full-bodied, concentrated Chateauneuf that has plenty of fine tannin and a great finish. As is common with a lot of '98s, its structure is front and center, yet I think it has the fruit to continue evolving nicely.
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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.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.
According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.
Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.
The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.