2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Secret de Sabon
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Jeb Dunnuck
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
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On another level, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Secret du Sabon is insanely good and possibly up there with some of the greatest Chateauneufs ever made. Loaded with notions of black fruits, black licorice, roasted herbs and olive tapenade, it's a thrilling example of Grenache and of Chateauneuf du Pape. Full-bodied, massively concentrated and structured, it's not for those looking for immediate appeal and needs another 4-5 years in the cellar. A brilliantly run estate, Domaine Roger Sabon covers close to 44 acres that are spread throughout the appellation, and the wines have been made by Didier Negron since 2001. This retrospective focused on their top cuvee, the Secret du Sabon, which is a field blend of roughly (the exact blend is a "secret") 90% Grenache with the balance other permitted varieties (from 100-year-old vines), that-s aged all in 600-liter barrels. While the first released vintage was 1998, they also bottled a small amount in 1990, 1995 (the only one I've tasted? superb) and 1996. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC: tel. (704) 358-1565
A blend of close to 100% Grenache (the blend is a Secret) that comes from two parcels of 100-year-old vines, the tiny production (first vintage was 1998) 2010 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Secret des Sabon is a gorgeous Châteauneuf-du-Pape any way you look at it, and certainly, it is up there with the top handful of wines in the vintage. Showing extraordinary aromatics of kirsch liqueur, graphite, crushed flowers, spice-box, and red licorice, it hits the palate with a full-bodied, seamless, yet voluptuous texture, incredible mid-palate concentration, and masses of tannin. Straight-up sexy and powerful, yet also elegant and with loads of finesse and class, this blockbuster needs upwards of a decade of cellaring, yet will shine for 20+ years.
On another level, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Secret du Sabon is insanely good and possibly up there with some of the greatest Chateauneufs ever made. Loaded with notions of black fruits, black licorice, roasted herbs and olive tapenade, it's a thrilling example of Grenache and of Chateauneuf du Pape. Full-bodied, massively concentrated and structured, it's not for those looking for immediate appeal and needs another 4-5 years in the cellar. Aug 2014, www.robertparker.com