2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee

Vivid red. Musky redcurrant and wild strawberry aromas are complicated by garrigue, anise and minerals. Fleshy, open-knit red berry flavors are energized by gentle mineral and white pepper qualities. Gains sweetness on the finish, along with fine-grained tannins. Give this youthful wine at least a few years in the cellar.

The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reserve exhibits beautiful sweet black cherry fruit, a full-bodied, powerful mouthfeel, and a layered texture. Consume it over the next 12-15 years. Proprietor Jean-Jacques Sabon and the other younger family members are taking these wines to even greater quality heights than previously attained. The new vintages possess updated, more polished labels, but more importantly, the wines continue to go from what were very strong efforts in the past, to even deeper concentration, complexity, and depth. All four cuvees are now routinely outstanding, with the top two offerings, the Cuvee Prestige and the limited production Le Secret des Sabon, compelling Chateauneufs. As with many estates, the 2007s exhibit the vintage’s succulent, juicy, incredibly pure fruit and tremendous freshness and vivacity, all packed into substantial, full-bodied wines with surprisingly high alcohols given their vibrancy. One might expect such greatness in 2007 in Chateauneuf du Pape, but the Sabons have also hit the heights in the excellent 2006 vintage. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC: tel. (704) 358-1565

Mid crimson. Savoury, tarry nose. very ‘masculine’ on the nose, then sweet palate entry but a bit muted. 60 year old vines on average apparently. (JR)