Wine Advisor
Roger Sabon, Chateauneuf du Pape Le Secret des Sabon 2019
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Shimmering ruby. Powerful, mineral-accented black raspberry and cherry liqueur aromas are complemented by incense, licorice and potpourri flourishes. Juicy, sweet and impressively concentrated, offering palate-staining red/blue fruit, spicecake and lavender pastille flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Brawny yet surprisingly lithe as well, showing outstanding clarity and youthfully chewy tannins on the strikingly long, floral and spice-tinged finish.
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
Although it had only been a year or two since I last tasted it, I couldn't turn down a chance to retry the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape le Secret de Sabon. This time, it was singing even more impressively than the last, with hints of asphalt giving way to wonderfully ripe black cherries on the nose. Full-bodied, rich, creamy, lush and intense, it's a powerful wine but one that also manages to be elegant, finishing long and velvety, with mocha and cocoa-powder shadings. It's a terrific marriage of power and elegance.
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
A top-notch effort, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape le Secret de Sabon—a blend of two old-vine Grenache parcels from sandier soils—offers up some floral and raspberry notes set against a dark backdrop of plums, mocha and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, dense and rich, it's almost fudge-like in intensity, but with adequate freshness, a deeply plush texture and tremendous length on the finish.
About the Producer
Our family estate was founded in 1952 by Roger SABON. After several generations, the estate has reached a total surface of 50 hectares split up on both sides of the Rhône. 18 hectares belong to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, on the left bank of the River, and spread over 14 different plots. On the right bank, the vineyard includes 12 hectares in the Lirac appellation, 6 hectares of Côtes-du-Rhône and 14 hectares of Vin de France. This diversity allows us to develop and offer our customers a wide choice of wines with varied profiles White wines represent around 5% of the total production. Grapes are hand harvested, placed into boxes and undergo a light pneumatic pressing. The juices obtained are then protected from the oxidation phenomena in order to preserve the aromatic potential. Our “Vins de France” will then ferment in stainless steel vats, whereas our Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc will ferment in 25 hl wooden tanks. The fermentation temperature is regulated around 16 ° C. Vinification of red wine is characterized, for our entire wine range, by a long period of maceration of the grapes in vats, associated with a relatively gentle extraction. Destemming – the removal of the vegetal part of the bunch- is required here in order to prevent any problem during maceration.
