TN: 1998 Vieux Donjon CNduP

1998 Vieux Donjon CNduP - hadn't opened one of these for a couple of years, but inspired by Patchen's post, I got a bottle of this out. Back then I got to taste early release samples of these wines and the 1998 blew me away - I immediately went out and bought a couple of cases to stash away for the distant future. The wine continues to impress with only slight bricking at the edges, a nose of dark fruit with hints of leather and a long smooth finish. I have seen all sorts of reviews on this wine, many of which call it over the hill, and conclude that there were shipping issues - obviously the batch we got here had excellent shipping and has held up well - still on the way up, although maybe almost as good as it will get. Excellent, and IMHO, no rush. Down to 15 bb now as I've been checking up on it regularly.

[Jenise]

It was a '98 Donjon at one of the Gav lunches on Alberni that piqued--like a flamethrower ignites a campfire--my interest in Rhone wines. Until then I'd had a few good ones but overall, didn't think I needed to join the club. This wine changed me. Love that you still have some.

[David M. Bueker]

1998 in Chateauneuf was a game changer for me. Too bad that after 2001 the game changed again.

1998 in Chateauneuf was a game changer for me. Too bad that after 2001 the game changed again.

Indeed! The 89 and 90 were also very decent as was the 95, and I have been pleasantly surprised by some very serviceable 1994s. Sadly, the change in style seems to have set in after that. I like CNduP - a lot (have something like 35 cases of assorted wines from 1989 on, but slacked off buying except for exceptional wines I tasted first in the first couple of decades of this century I probably should have shown more self control with the 2007s and later. One has to be careful about relying on published notes - some reviewers went crazy as the wines became more and more ripe and over the top and awarded them silly scores. A lot of them resembled over ripe American reds more than they did classic CNduP! That has to be at least in part due to the change in taste by many critics..

[David M. Bueker]

Not to mention the change in climate post 2002.

Glad this bottle was still in good shape! 98 was, come to think of it, a memorable CdP vintage for me too, though not, sadly, with Donjon… VT and Beaucastel on restaurant wine lists, I think… and since it came when I wasn’t yet seriously cellaring much wine, whatever few bottles I bought are long gone. From that era, one lone 1999 Beaucastel remains. But I can remember those first bottles!

1998 was an eye-opening vintage for me - tasted early, loved the wines and bought accordingly - still have 13 different CNduP from that year, though in smaller and smaller numbers as the years go by. Time to do a CNduP lunch, Jenise!