“One of my favorite producers.” – Jeb Dunnuck

Happy 5th Anniversary of Vieille Julienne on Wine Spies!

Back in the day, we totally missed out on their 2016 that disappeared after popping up as one of Wine Spectator’s Top-5 wines of the year. Agent Rhone has been longing for their return ever since and already staked a claim on six of these. There’s very little to go around, as usual, and given the stir that recent Cristia offer caused, we imagine this will vanish in hours.

In the past we brought you the 2017, also with 97 points, but our allocations have quickly sold out every vintage since. These are CULT Châteauneuf-du-Papes, mind you… Back then, Les Trois Sources was a $90 release: nowadays it’s just $10 more, not bad for enduring a pandemic, inflation, tariffs, and climate change!

We certainly won’t be charging you the full $100, though. So how ‘bout we lock in over 40% OFF to squeeze it down to $59!? Swear we’re almost breaking even here.

Consider what Jeb Dunnuck says here, “Vieille Julienne’s Jean-Paul Daumen is unquestionably one of the most talented winemakers in all of France. Since taking over the Domaine in 1990, the estate has gone from strength to strength, and the list of truly extraordinary wines from this small terroir located on the northern edge of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is mind-boggling. And there are no secrets; Jean-Paul focuses first and foremost on his vineyards, which are all farmed organically and sustainably, minuscule yields, no SO2 during vinification, aging in neutral foudres and tank, and bottling unfined and unfiltered. The result is a naked, raw expression of this magical terroir and old vines… and across the board are monumental wines. You don’t have to splurge for the Reserve cuvée either, since the Les Trois Sources and Haut-Lieux releases are both extraordinary wines. In short, there are few wines I’d rather have in my cellar (or better yet, on my dinner table), than those from Jean-Paul Daumen!”

“Vieille Julienne’s wines are some of the longest-lived in the appellation,” adds Wine Spectator with that massive Top-5 accolade; “Les Trois Sources comes from the Domaine’s sandy soil parcels, which impart a silky elegance to the typically powerful fruit profile of Grenache, the lead variety.”

Sandy. Very, very few CdPs thrive on sand. Decanter explains “The red wines of Châteauneuf range from beefy to ‘Burgundian.’ If you want beefy, look for galets roulés. If you want Burgundian, look for sand. ‘Fine, fresh wines’ was the three-word summary of Emmanuel Raynaud, as we strode out on a cool, wet April morning to look at the key vineyard sites of Château Rayas, whose wine incarnates the ‘Grenache on sand’ style…”

Remember, a bottle of Rayas averages over $1,500. You can have this sand-grown 97 pointer today for a mere $59. Assuming you move quickly.

What’s in the glass? Speechless, we leave that part to Jeb’s raving review below. He could not have put it more eloquently…

97 Points – Jeb Dunnuck “Reminding me of the 2020, the 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Trois Sources comes from a terroir similar to the Reserve and is based on 70% Grenache, 10% Cinsault, 5% each Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Counoise, and the rest a mix of varieties. Ripe blackberries, roasted garrigue, loamy soil, licorice, and a kiss of graphite all emerge on the nose, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, beautiful yet building tannins, and a great finish. It’s slightly more open and expressive than the Les Hauts-Lieux, yet I suspect both of these cuvées will cruise for two decades. Drink 2024-2044.”