Revealing a deeper, more saturated ruby/purple color, the full-bodied 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reserve exhibits plenty of glycerin, a multilayered texture, and a sensational combination of rich black currant and kirsch fruit intermixed with licorice, roasted herb, and forest floor notes. A blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Cinsault aged in both foudre and old demi-muids, it should drink well for 12-15+ years.
While this is one of Chateauneuf du Pape’s finest estates, it is not nearly as big as one might suspect given the market penetration they have enjoyed throughout the world. From their 42 acres of vines scattered among 15 separate Chateauneuf du Pape parcels, Roger Sabon produces four cuvees of red wine as well as a small quantity of white wines. Three of the red wines are based on old vine Grenache, and the limited production Le Secret des Sabon comes from a 100+- year-old parcel of primarily Grenache and other field varietals that are cropped at incredibly tiny yields of less than one-half ton of fruit per acre. The property is currently managed by Jean-Jacques Sabon with his son-in-law, Didier Negron, who has been the oenologist since 2001. The history of this estate is intriguing as the first estate bottled wine was made in 1921, when the property was run by Seraphin Sabon, who had three sons, Joseph (the founder of Clos du Mont-Olivet), Noel (who started the Domaine Chante Cigale), and Roger (who created this estate in 1952). All of the following offerings are traditionally made wines, based largely on Grenache, that spend 12-15 months in foudres. Occasionally, a small percentage is aged in small, 3- to 4-year-old oak barrels. The only exceptions are the Cuvee Prestige, which is aged mostly in foudres and small new oak (25-30%), and the Secret des Sabon, which is aged in one-year-old demi-muids. 2007 may be the strongest vintage across the board that I have ever tasted at Roger Sabon.
Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC: tel. (704) 358-1565
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