2017 Domaine de Villeneuve Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Vieilles Vignes, Rhone

Medium-bodied, soft, sweet and polished, the wine offers sweet, dark red fruits, licorice and floral notes, with a fruit filled, spicy, black raspberry and peppery finish. The wine is produced with 70% Grenache, 16% Mourvedre, 7% Syrah, 4% Cinsault and 2% Clairette.

93 points Jeff Leve thewinecellarinsider.com

Domaine de Villeneuve is a small estate (8.4 hectares) situated in the northern sector of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The estates vineyards border Château Beaucastel on one side, and Mont-Redon on the other. 90% of the vines are between 30 and 100+ years of age, with 75% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, 8% Syrah, and 7% of other allowed varieties.

The estate was purchased by the du Roy de Blicquy and Wallut families in 1993.  Since then they have completely refurbished the estate. A modern winery was built under-ground over three levels to allow all operations to be carried out by gravity feed to eliminate the use of pumps. Ageing of the Grenache takes place in large enamel lined cement tanks and the Syrah and Mouvedre components are aged in large casks.

Using bio-dynamic practices the old vines were nursed back to health and only a small percentage of the vineyard was re-planted , mostly to Syrah and Mourvedre. Yields are kept at a very low 24 to 28 hectoliters per hectare, and the percentage of wine matured in barrels never exceeds 20% of the total. These are stylish wines of intensity, depth and grace that possess natural balance and moderate alcohol levels with no undue heaviness or extract.