2000 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
Lush, sexy, sensuous, rich and peppery, the fruit is ripe, sweet, fresh and spicy. The concentrated, deep wine feels just great on your palate, making it difficult not to ask for another pour. This is probably drinking at absolute peak, so if you have a bottle, pop a cork. 98 Points
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
Dominated by volatile acidity on the nose, the 2000 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape has a full bodied, amazingly structured and tannic palate. While I consider this a flawed bottle, the fruit, depth and texture on the palate are really something.
The 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve (15.5% alcohol; 100% Grenache) is a wine of magnificent intensity as well as majestic texture and richness. Layers of concentrated fruit cascade over the palate. Opaque purple-colored and extremely full-bodied, with a gorgeous nose of minerals, white flowers, black fruits, pepper, and garrigue, this sumptuous, seamless 2000 Chateauneuf must be tasted to be believed. I have had this wine a half dozen times in blind tastings that included some of the finest 2000 Chateauneuf du Papes, and it consistently ranks as one of the top 2 or 3 wines in the tastings. Then again, I'm looking at its overall potential as it is not the most forward or evolved of the 2000 Chateauneuf du Papes. It is a magnificent tour de force in winemaking. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025. Kudos to winemaker/proprietor Jean-Paul Dauman for this masterpiece! Importer: A Christopher Cannan Selection, various American importers, including: Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300 and Diamond Wine Merchant, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 567-9897. A note of caution: Grey market prices for these wines are 3-5 times higher than those asked by the authorized distributor.