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Domaine Roger Sabon

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve

US retail price: from $52.99

Winery shipped price: $49*

Bright ruby in colour. Rich nose of plum, red fruits, wild herbs and savouriness. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with prominent by fine tannins that envelop dark cherry fruit. Lovely fruit finish with a touch of minerals. Balanced acidity and a strong core will allow this wine to be aged for 8 to 12 years, and longer in some vintages. Best enjoyed after 4 years to allow the wine to demonstrate its wonderful fruit and complexity.

Style: Red

Winegrower tasting video:

Grape varieties:80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre

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Red Wine Grape Varieties

Southern Rhône wines are almost always blended around Grenache to bring balance, complexity and richness of aroma to the wines. Thirteen varietals are permitted. The main varieties are:

Grenache – Medium ruby colour and high alcohol. Delightfully fruity (red fruits) in youth, spice: prune notes with age. Medium dry tannins that soften with age.

Syrah – Deep colour with purple shades. Very tight but velvety tannins giving good ageing potential. Violet and/ or black fruit aromas. With age the aromas evolves towards wild aromas of leather, truffle, and towards liquorice

Mourvèdre – Dark brick red, high tannin brings additional ageing quality to the blend. Sometimes animal notes in its youth become fruity (dark berries, leather, undergrowth, pine, liquorice) and spicy with age.

Cinsault – High proportion in Rosé. Elegant, fruity aromas, light colour and tannin (in reds).

White Wine Grape Varieties

Grenache Blanc – Low acidity giving smoothness and length on the palate with floral aromas and notes of apple and pear.

Clairette – Brings acidity and freshness to the blend. Floral, complex aromas of rose and acacia with notes of white peach and exotic fruit.

Roussanne – Brings finesse and delicacy and a great deal of elegance. Good acidity in the northern Rhône enabling the wine to age well. Complex aromas of honeysuckle with touches of apricot, hawthorn or narcissus.

Bourboulenc – Brings good acidity to the blend. Floral aromas.

Marsanne – Medium acidity, with high aromatic potential in young wines. Complex and subtle floral aromas of acacia, dried fruit and nuts (almond, hazelnut, walnut).

Viognier – Medium colour with low acidity and very fruity (pear) in the Southern Rhône. In the Northern Rhône, it brings suppleness and smoothness. Great aromatic potential – acacia, honeysuckle, violet, almond blossom, linden, and with age, musk, honey and dried apricot.

Terroir: Middle aged to old vines on multiple plots of sand, clay, limestone and rolled stones (“galets”).

Oak: None

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Oak Flavours

The vast majority of wines in the Southern Rhône are aged in neutral tanks such as concrete and stainless steel in order to preserve the delightful fruity characteristics of Grenache. Where oak is used, it is often only used for a proportion of the blend. The majority of wines in the Northern Rhône however, are aged in oak.

The amount of oak flavour in the wine depends on:

  • The size of the barrel – Less surface area in contact with the wine = less oak flavour
  • The age of the barrel – Less oak is imparted in each subsequent wine.
  • The level of charring (“toast”) and type of oak used by the cooper

The following classifications are used for wines listed on this website:

No Oak – The wine is aged in neutral vats or large, old oak barrels that impart no oak flavours. These wines will be fruit-forward and bright in their early years.

Light Oak – Oak flavours are present but do not dominate the wine when young. The wine may only be partly aged in smaller oak barrels and/or the barrels may have been used for one to three prior wines.

Prominent Oak – Oak flavour is a noticeable feature of the wine, particularly when young. Oak also imparts oak tannins into the wine which can increase the ageing potential of the wine, thus allowing the wine to develop complex aromas over many years.

Drinking time: 3 to 12 years

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Drinking Time

The majority of everyday wines are produced to be drunk within a year, or two of their vintage date. Fine wines that demonstrate a balanced acidity and good tannin structure have the ability to be aged over many years. Oak flavours and red wine tannins soften with age, which allow more complex aromas to develop. Deciding when to drink a fine wine is very much a matter of personal taste. You should drink the wine earlier in its life if you prefer its fruity (“primary”) aromas, accepting that tannins and any oak flavours will be more prominent when the wine is young.

Reviews: RP 95 pts, JD 93 pts, WS 93 pts

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Reviews

The ratings of leading reviewers are listed here with their written comments detailed at the bottom of the page.

Remember that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. Each wine reviewer has personal tastes and, as hard as they try, preferences can be reflected in the numerical score a reviewer gives to a wine. This is why is important to read their comments rather than judge a wine by its numerical score.

JR = Jancis Robinson. Score out of 20 points.
RP = Robert Parker, Wine Advocate. Score out of 100 points.
JD = Jeb Dunnuck. Score out of 100 points.
WS = Wine Spectator. Score out of 100 points.
W&S = Wine and Sprits. Score out of 100 points.
WE = Wine Enthusiast. Score out of 100 points.
VM = Vinous Media. Score out of 100 points.
JS= James Suckling. Score out of 100 points.

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Producer profile

This wonderful, family-run wine domaine was founded by Roger Sabon in 1952 from family vineyards that date back to 1560. Responsibility for the domaine passed over to Roger’s three sons, Gilbert, Jean-Jacques and Denis in 1976.Today they are joined by Denis daughter, Delphine who runs the commercial side of the winery and his son, Julien who works with him the vineyards. Jean-Jacques son-in-law Didier Negron is in charge of the winemaking, having previously worked at other prestigious domaines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The domaine cultivates 46 ha (117 acres) of vineyards, of which 18 ha are in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 12ha are in Lirac, 6 ha are in Côtes-du-Rhône and 14ha designated as Vin de France. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards are spread over 14 plots of quite diverse terroir. The reds are therefore, not just blends of different grape varieties, but blends of different terroir which no doubt explains part of the complexity of these wines.

The domaine produces the three different red Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuveés: “Les Olivets”, “Réserve” and “Prestige” which reflect differing blends on grape varieties, terroir and vine ages.

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In certain vintages, the domaine bottles very limited amounts of a fourth cuveé called Le Secret de Sabon which is produced from low-yielding vines over 100 years old.

The domaine also produces small quantities of a delightful white Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuveé call “Renaissance” which is fermented and aged in a new 2500 litre oak cask that gives a hint of oak complexity to the wine.

The wine styles are traditional with delicate touches of modernity that do not comprise the unique expression of their terroir. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds are fermented in concrete vats. This, and a long maceration on the skins provides for good extraction of colour and tannins without the need for punching down of the skins (“pigeage”).

Large oak barrels (“foudres”) are used for the reds to round out the tannins without imparting oak flavour, thus allowing for a fuller expression of their terroir in the wines.

Wine reviews

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (RP)

2018 vintage (95 points): The floral and garrigue nuances in the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve are off-the-charts gorgeous, backed by concentrated black cherries and hints of dark chocolate. Full-bodied and intense, concentrated yet elegant, this is a terrific effort that should drink well for a decade. Soft, silky tannins wash over the tongue on the long-lasting finish, lending a certain gravitas to the overall experience and reinforcing that impression of longevity.

Jeb Dunnuck (JD)

2018 vintage (93 points):  Slightly deeper ruby/purple, it has a more serious bouquet of ripe red and black fruits, ground pepper, gamy meats, and plenty of Provençal garrigue. Also medium to full-bodied, it has slightly more depth and richness, building yet soft tannins, solid mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It’s drinking well already, but certainly will evolve nicely for 10-12 years, if not longer.

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Wine Spectator (WS)

2019 vintage (93 points): Nicely packed, with juicy plum and raspberry pâte de fruit notes forming the core, while alder, black tea and warm earth accents score the finish. There’s ample stuffing for the cellar, with fresh, lengthy drive thanks to underlying acidity. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2022 through 2036.

2018 vintage (93 points): Juicy and youthfully compact, with a ball of cassis, raspberry paste and melted red licorice that has yet to unwind fully, backed by sweet toast and fruitcake notes on the finish. Features a solid spine throughout. Needs a little patience. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2023 through 2035.

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