Alain Jaume Domaine Grand Veneur Vieilles Vignes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015

Under $50 on a limited and renowned old-vine CdP! Domaine Grand Veneur's Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes carries tremendous pedigree and rarity. The Jaume family has tended vines here since 1826, and the estate has been run since 1979 by Alain Jaume and Odile Jaume, five generations after founding vigneron Mathieu Jaume. Alain made history in 1986 by becoming one of the first producers in the appellation to experiment with aging in new French oak. The Vieilles Vignes cuvée is the domaine's scarcest bottling by far, with only around 530 cases made each year – a fraction of the estate's flagship Châteauneuf-du-Pape (roughly 3,300 cases) or its Les Origines (around 1,700 cases) – because it's sourced exclusively from the oldest plots in the northern sector of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, some vines over a century old, farmed organically so their roots reach deep into the soil, naturally restricting yields and concentrating the fruit.

The blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, and 10% Syrah is destemmed and crushed, fermented, given an extended vatting period, and matured in a mix of concrete vats (40%) and oak casks (60%) – a labor-intensive process with a focus on depth and longevity. The 2015 vintage reflects all of that with its deep ruby color, a nose of black cherries, garrigue, spice, and a touch of woodiness, and a palate of vibrant black cherry layered with dried red plum and soil. An absolutely finely structured, cellar-worthy Châteauneuf-du-Pape from a top vintage that stands as a genuinely small-production, old-vine collector's find!