Domaine de la Vieille Julienne 'Ceci est un flacon' 2023

Ceci est un flacon ("This is a bottle") is one of the more intriguing wines in the Vieille Julienne range. Unlike the estate's appellation wines, it is labelled simply as Vin de France, giving the Daumen family complete freedom over the blend and winemaking.

The name is a playful nod to René Magritte's famous painting The Treachery of Images ("Ceci n'est pas une pipe"), but the wine itself is anything but frivolous. It is produced in very small quantities and changes subtly from vintage to vintage, depending on what Antoine Daumen feels best expresses the year. Freed from the constraints of appellation rules, it allows him to focus solely on quality and drinkability.

Whilst the blend varies, it is generally based on Grenache, with a supporting cast of traditional Southern Rhône varieties. Stylistically, it sits somewhere between the juicy immediacy of Clavin and the greater depth of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines. Expect vibrant red and black fruits, wild herbs, spice and the hallmark freshness that defines the Vieille Julienne style.

For those unfamiliar with the estate, it also serves as an excellent introduction. It carries all the hallmarks of Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, namely purity of fruit, biodynamic farming, minimal intervention and remarkable balance, but at a considerably more accessible price than the Châteauneuf-du-Pape bottlings.

One small point to note is that, because it is classified as Vin de France, the label gives little away. That is a deliberate choice, allowing the family complete creative freedom rather than being tied to appellation regulations. For a producer as uncompromising as Vieille Julienne, that freedom is more important than the appellation on the label.