Domaine de la Vieille Julienne

Domaine de la Vieille Julienne is a Rhône Valley producer known for its Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The estate is based in Les Grès in the northern part of the appellation where it grows the common Rhône varieties Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise and Cinsaut.

The domaine was formed in 1905 and has been owned by the Daumen family ever since. For the first half of the 20th century, it sold all its grapes to négociants. It wasn't until the 1960s that Vieille Julienne began to bottle and release its own wines. It gained critical recognition and popularity in the 1990s after a focused effort to reduce yields. The Vieille Julienne Reserve Châteauneuf-du-Pape was first released in 1994 to critical acclaim, and has recieved 100-point scores from Robert Parker for several of its vintages.

Vieille Julienne has 10 hectares (25 acres) under vine in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and a further 5ha (12 acres) of Côtes du Rhône vineyards. Grenache is the most important variety, making up 60 percent of the flagship Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine, and the majority of all of the other red blends. The reserve is 95 percent Grenache and comes from the domaine's oldest vines, some of which are a century old. Domaine de la Vieille Julienne also makes a red and white Côtes du Rhône.