Sabon Chateauneuf-du-Pape with robust meaty pizza
For finishing the left over premium pizza with several meats from earlier in the week, featured in this blogpost - Valmaggiore Sandrone Nebbiolo with Pizza, I pulled from the cellar this premium Rhône Valley red blend.
Roger Sabon Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee ‘Le Secret des Sabon’ 2012While the current Roger Sabon family estate was founded in 1952 by Roger Sabon, the historic ancestral Domaine Roger Sabon history dates back to the 16th century, when the Sabon family first owned vineyards in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in France’s southern Rhône River Valley. By the 18th century the Sabons were not only making wine but helping promote and improve all Rhone Valley wines by helping establish appellation standards.
Today the 109-acre Domaine Roger Sabon estate is run by Jean-Jacques, Denis and Gilbert Sabon, all descendants of the founder.
The estate’s total acreage, is split up on both sides of the Rhône River, with 37 acres in Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation, on the left bank of the River, and spread over 14 different plots with that classic terroir of sand and limestone soils. The winery sits just on the northern edge of the village Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
On the right bank, the vineyard includes 30 acres in the Lirac appellation, 15 acres in the Côtes-du-Rhône and 35 acres in the Vin de France.
We visited Chateauneuf-du-Pape in 1998 and again in 2019 - Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and A visit to Château La Nerthe.
The estate also makes Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, as well as a Lirac and Cotes du Rhone, which are sourced from the domain’s vineyards in Roquemaure. Robert M. Parker Jr. calls Domain Roger Sabon a traditionalist producer that “has been making exceptionally high-quality wines for years…”
La Cuvee Prestige is the domain’s flagship wine, though it also makes this very limited production Le Secret des Sabon in certain vintages, the top wine of the estate. Those wines are 60% – 80% Grenache from vines that are 80 to 100 years old.
This 2012 release was rated 96 points by Robert Parkers’ Wine Advocate, 95 points by Wine Spectator, and 94 points by Vinous.
Winemaker Notes - Deep ruby color. Rich and generous mouth. This cuvée aims at giving the best expression of Grenache on elegance, with a peculiar attention on balance, freshness and tannic structure.
Bright Ruby red colored, full bodied, but smooth easy drinking with expressive lively sweet ripe rich raspberry, plum and blackberry fruits with notes of kirsch, garrigue and licorice, turning to hints of graphite, black tea, leather and tar notes with a hint of white pepper, glycerol, sweet soft tannins and moderate acidity on the lively lingering finish.
RM 93 points.
