Wine Labs · Market intelligence
Le Vieux Donjon: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Estate, Vintages and Prices
Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape: the Michel family estate, its red and white, live prices from 306 sellers and 1,328 auction results since 2002.
Le Vieux Donjon is a family estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It makes two wines each year, one red and one white, both Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Châteauneuf-du-Pape federation).
This page sets out what the estate and its importers have published, and what the wines cost today. The prices come from Wine Labs data on November 4, 2026: 306 sellers with a live offer for the red, 72 for the white, and 1,328 auction lots with a recorded sale price since 2002.
Le Vieux Donjon at a glance
| Appellation | Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhône |
| Wines | One red and one white Châteauneuf-du-Pape each year |
| Vineyard | 17 hectares, certified organic, per the appellation federation. Other published figures give 14 to 15 hectares |
| Run by | Claire Fabre-Michel and François Michel |
| Red blend, 2024 | 75% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 5% Cinsault and others |
| Live retail median, red | $64.48 per 750 ml, 306 sellers in 24 countries |
| Live retail median, white | $63.08 per 750 ml, 72 sellers in 16 countries |
| Auction median, red | $60.97 per 750 ml, 1,328 lots |
The Michel family
The Michel family sold its wine to négociants for many years. In 1966, under Marcel Michel, the family began to bottle its own wine (iDealwine profile). Lucien Michel and Marie-José Michel took over in 1979, and their marriage brought together the vineyards of both families (Skurnik Wines, US importer; Châteauneuf-du-Pape federation).
Their children Claire Fabre-Michel and François Michel now run the estate. The federation says they took over from their parents about ten years ago. Claire joined the estate in 2007 or 2008; the published sources give both years.
Vineyards and winemaking
The federation lists 17 hectares, all certified organic. The US importer gives fourteen hectares, and an iDealwine profile gives 15, with 14 planted to red grapes and 1 to white. The difference may reflect different dates or how the areas were measured.
According to the iDealwine profile, two thirds of the red vines grow on the rolled stones, or galets roulés, that are typical of the appellation. The Systembolaget listing for the 2024 red describes the soils as clay, sand, limestone and galets roulés.
Published descriptions of the cellar agree on the main steps:
- Destemming: partial, and only when needed in a given year (Skurnik).
- Fermentation: in cement tanks (Skurnik; Justerini & Brooks).
- Ageing: in large oak foudres, with no new oak. The importer gives 18 to 20 months. For the 2024 red, Systembolaget gives 18 months, 80% in foudres and 20% in cement tanks.
The 2024 red is 75% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault and other varieties, at 14.5% alcohol (Systembolaget). Sources give different figures for vine age. Justerini & Brooks says the Grenache vines average 90 years. The iDealwine profile gives an average of over 50 years, with many Grenache vines close to 100.
Where Le Vieux Donjon is sold
The iDealwine profile says about 95% of production is sold outside France. Our retail data is consistent with that: the red is listed by 306 sellers in 24 countries, and the United States has the most sellers.
Live 750 ml offers, November 4, 2026. Converted to US dollars, local taxes included.
| Country | Median per 750 ml | Sellers |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $78.99 | 151 sellers |
| United Kingdom | $53.18 | 24 sellers |
| France | $45.62 | 28 sellers |
| Hong Kong | $63.87 | 11 sellers |
| Japan | $76.01 | 11 sellers |
| Netherlands | $54.11 | 8 sellers |
| Singapore | $59.03 | 6 sellers |
| Germany | $48.99 | 14 sellers |
| Country | Seller-vintage listings | Sellers | Median, red, per 750 ml |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 222 | 151 | $78.99 |
| United Kingdom | 83 | 24 | $53.18 |
| France | 47 | 28 | $45.62 |
| Hong Kong | 42 | 11 | $63.87 |
| Japan | 29 | 11 | $76.01 |
| Netherlands | 23 | 8 | $54.11 |
| Singapore | 22 | 6 | $59.03 |
| Germany | 17 | 14 | $48.99 |
Prices are converted to US dollars. They include different local taxes and duties, so the country medians describe each market's shelf price, not the producer's price.
Across all countries, half of the red listings fall between $50.00 and $84.23. The white is listed less widely: 90 listings from 72 sellers, with a median of $63.08.
Retail prices by vintage
Most live offers are for recent vintages. The table shows every vintage of the red with at least 14 seller listings.
| Vintage | Seller listings | Retail median |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 14 | $55.05 |
| 2007 | 17 | $65.48 |
| 2012 | 14 | $63.33 |
| 2015 | 17 | $53.18 |
| 2016 | 22 | $65.94 |
| 2017 | 35 | $60.67 |
| 2018 | 39 | $55.83 |
| 2019 | 19 | $69.67 |
| 2020 | 34 | $57.21 |
| 2021 | 44 | $51.80 |
| 2022 | 71 | $53.45 |
| 2023 | 92 | $77.99 |
The 2023 median is higher mainly because of where it is listed. 66% of the 2023 listings are in the United States, against 21% to 23% for 2021 and 2022. Outside the United States, the 2023 median is $46.08, close to the $46.63 and $49.33 of the two earlier vintages. We left the 2008 vintage out: many listings tagged 2008 look like trade or pre-arrival offers, and we could not confirm the vintage.
Auction results
Le Vieux Donjon red has a long auction record. Wine Labs holds 1,328 lots with a recorded sale price at 36 auction houses, from October 2002 to October 2026. K&L Wines (308 lots), Langtons (244), Acker (221), Spectrum Wine Auctions (102) and Brentwood Wine Auction (59) account for most of them. The oldest vintage sold is 1972.
The median result is $60.97 per 750 ml, buyer's premium included. In the last three years, 450 lots sold at 31 houses, with a median of $60.00. Yearly medians since 2016 have stayed between $55 and $75.
Sales from November 2023 to November 2026, per 750 ml, buyer's premium included.
| Vintages | Median per 750 ml | Lots |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s vintages | $49.50 | 55 lots |
| 2010s vintages | $59.40 | 217 lots |
| 2000s vintages | $62.50 | 130 lots |
| 1990s vintages | $71.37 | 41 lots |
| Before 1990 | $75.00 | 5 lots |
| Vintage age, sales from Nov 2023 to Nov 2026 | Lots | Median per 750 ml |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s vintages | 55 | $49.50 |
| 2010s vintages | 217 | $59.40 |
| 2000s vintages | 130 | $62.50 |
| 1990s vintages | 41 | $71.37 |
| Before 1990 | 5 | $75.00 |
Older vintages sell for more on average, though the oldest group has only five lots. 156 of the lots were magnums. All prices here are expressed per 750 ml.
The white appears at auction less often: 42 lots at 9 houses, with a median of $50.88.
Retail and auction for the same vintage
Retail and auction prices measure different things. A retail price is an asking price for a bottle in stock. An auction price is the result for one lot, with the buyer's premium but before shipping, tax and storage, and it depends on the lot's condition and provenance.
For the 12 vintages with at least five retail listings and five auction sales in the last three years, we compared the two medians.
Per 750 ml. Auction sales from the last three years, buyer's premium included.
| Vintage | Retail median | Auction median |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | $86.88 | $78.00 |
| 2006 | $55.05 | $52.44 |
| 2007 | $65.48 | $67.10 |
| 2012 | $63.33 | $43.53 |
| 2015 | $53.18 | $60.00 |
| 2016 | $65.94 | $60.72 |
| 2017 | $60.67 | $59.67 |
| 2018 | $55.83 | $44.46 |
| 2019 | $69.67 | $62.48 |
| 2020 | $57.21 | $50.72 |
| 2021 | $51.80 | $46.88 |
| 2022 | $53.45 | $38.83 |
| Vintage | Retail median | Auction median, last 3 years | Auction ÷ retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | $86.88 | $78.00 | 0.90 |
| 2006 | $55.05 | $52.44 | 0.95 |
| 2007 | $65.48 | $67.10 | 1.02 |
| 2012 | $63.33 | $43.53 | 0.69 |
| 2015 | $53.18 | $60.00 | 1.13 |
| 2016 | $65.94 | $60.72 | 0.92 |
| 2017 | $60.67 | $59.67 | 0.98 |
| 2018 | $55.83 | $44.46 | 0.80 |
| 2019 | $69.67 | $62.48 | 0.90 |
| 2020 | $57.21 | $50.72 | 0.89 |
| 2021 | $51.80 | $46.88 | 0.90 |
| 2022 | $53.45 | $38.83 | 0.73 |
The median ratio is 0.90. Auction results for this wine sit close to retail prices, and for 2007 and 2015 they were above them.
Checking a bottle before you compare prices
- Red or white. The estate makes one of each, and they are priced separately.
- Vintage and bottle size. Magnums and half bottles appear at auction and at retail. Compare them per 750 ml.
- Name variants. Listings use "Le Vieux Donjon", "Vieux Donjon" and "Vieux Donjon (Michel Lucien)" for the same estate.
- Market. Country prices include different taxes. Compare within one market where possible.
See live prices for any vintage with Wine Labs search, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region page, auction results, or fine wine market data.
Data methodology: Wine Labs data, snapshot November 4, 2026, for "Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape" red and white. Retail uses live offers from online merchants and wine shops, standard 750 ml bottles only, with one price per seller per vintage (the lowest). A chain counts as one seller. Prices are converted to US dollars and may include local taxes. Auction figures use lots with a recorded realised price, buyer's premium included, normalised to a 750 ml bottle, with flagged outliers and mixed lots removed. Lots without a recorded result are not counted as sales. Estate facts come from the sources linked in the text, which do not always agree; where they differ, we say so.