The 1967 Chateauneuf du Pape was a privilege to taste, as it’s the first vintage produced from the estate. While Marcel Michel started the domaine in 1960, at the young age of 16 no less, he sold all of the grapes to negociants until 1967. While this bottle was over-the-hill with regard to it aromatics, it still showed some texture, richness and fruit on the palate, with some Grenache charm. While not the best wine in terms of quality, it was a classy end to a fabulous tasting. Another bastillion of traditional Chateauneuf du Pape, Vieux Donjon is owned by Lucien and Marie Jose Michel, with the winemaking now firmly in the hands of their talented daughter, Claire Michel. They produce a single red and white Chateauneuf du Pape, with the red always a rough blend of 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and the balance a mix of other permitted varieties. They started partial destemming in 1993, pulling out the green stems and keeping the more lignified stems. Aging occurs all in concrete tanks and older foudre. This was a fabulous tasting with both Claire and her brother Francois, and as I hope the notes show, the wines have classic Chateauneuf du Pape character and broad drink windows. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173