2022 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France

The Moment

Some Châteauneuf-du-Pape is built around sheer size.
Others are built around power with poise.

The 2022 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Les Trois Sources” feels like the kind of bottle that lands beautifully in that second lane — full of southern Rhône depth, but with enough lift, structure, and savory detail to keep it feeling alive instead of heavy. Coming from a terroir between Clavin and Les Hauts-Lieux, where a mosaic of sandy safres, pebbles, and red clays gives the wine its balance of power and finesse.

This is also a classic southern Rhône blend in a very compelling register. The 2022 is built from 70% Grenache, 10% Cinsault, 5% each Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Counoise, plus the rest mixed varieties, a wine that is already expressive but clearly built to age. 

What It Feels Like

Think lamb on the table, dusk settling in, and a bottle that starts generous but keeps revealing more structure and savory detail the longer it sits in the glass.

What makes this wine work is the tension between dark fruit and herbal-spiced earthiness. Blackberries, plums, garrigue, loam, graphite, licorice, toasted anise, smoke, and florals. That combination is exactly what makes great Châteauneuf feel so complete — broad enough for a real dinner, but energetic enough to keep pulling you back in.

In the Glass

Aromatics
Blackberries, plums, roasted garrigue, loamy soil, licorice, graphite, and a touch of leather.

Palate
Medium- to full-bodied and layered, with ripe dark fruit, warm earth, toasted anise, smoke, and a precise, savory core. . 

Texture
Seamless and mouth-filling, with beautiful but building tannins that give the wine real shape.

Finish
Long, smoky, spicy, and persistent, with racy acidity and a licorice snap holding everything together.

Why We Love This Bottle

Classic Châteauneuf With Real Lift
This is not just generous fruit and heat. The critics repeatedly point to acidity, precision, and tension, which is exactly what keeps the wine feeling serious and not overblown.

Savory In The Best Way
Garrigue, loam, graphite, toasted anise, smoke, licorice — makes this feel deeply Rhône and deeply food-worthy. 

Built To Age, But Already Compelling
Several critics say it will improve with time, but the current notes also make clear that the 2022 already has a lot to offer in the glass. Wine Spectator recommends 2027–2040, while James Suckling says drink or hold.

Pair It With

• Lamb
• Braised beef
• Duck
• Mushroom dishes
• Aged cheeses

Technical Notes

Producer: Domaine de la Vieille Julienne
Wine: Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Les Trois Sources”
Vintage: 2022
Region: Rhône, France
Appellation: Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Blend: 70% Grenache, 10% Cinsault, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Counoise, plus the rest mixed permitted varieties.

Terroir:
Located on a mild slope between Clavin and Les Hauts-Lieux, with sandy safres, pebbles, and red clays.

Body: Medium-Full
Structure: Building tannins · racy acidity · layered fruit · long smoky finish

Flavor Profile
Blackberry · Plum · Garrigue · Loam · Licorice · Graphite · Toasted Anise · Smoke

Drink Window
2025–2040