Domaine du Vieux Donjon

The Vieux Donjon estate, in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, has belonged to the Michel family for many generations. In the 1900s, the estate produced grapes that the family sold in bulk. Winegrowing was not the main activity at the time; the Michel family also made barrels. In the late 1970s, winegrower Lucien Michel married agricultural engineer Marie-José Michel. As a result, the vineyards of the Vieux Donjon estate have grown to 13 hectares. The couple developed viticulture and the wine trade on the estate. Michel is in charge of wine-making, while Marie-José handles sales and administration. They began bottling their entire production in the early 1980s, and sell 95% of their wine for export, particularly to the United States. Their daughter Claire Michel joined the Vieux Donjon domaine in 2008, soon to be joined by her brother François in 2013. With the transition assured, husband and wife Lucien and Marie-José Michel retired in 2013.