2018 Domaine Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Prestige
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Tasting notes
Brilliant ruby. Black raspberry, cherry cola, floral and exotic spice scents show excellent clarity and pick up garrigue and licorice nuances with air. Juicy and expansive on the palate, offering intense red and dark berry preserve, fruitcake and candied violet flavors that deepen through the back half. Closes very long and gently tannic, leaving repeating spice and floral notes behind.
Critic scores
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
Reminding me of a street market in the South of France, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Prestige sports a medium ruby/purple hue as well as a smorgasbord of Provençal goodness in its red and black fruits, Provençal herbs, garrigue, and new saddle leather-like aromas and flavors. Beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced, this is a smoking good 2018 I would be thrilled to have in the cellar. Drink bottles any time over the coming 10 to 12 years. The blend is 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and the rest a mix of permitted varieties, all from the Les Brusquières and Cabrières lieux-dits, brought up in 60% foudre, 30% in tronconique tanks, and the rest in demi-muids.
Hints of violets and lavender appear alongside mixed berries on the nose of the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Prestige. While not overwhelmingly concentrated or dense, it's beautifully balanced, being medium to full-bodied on the palate, smooth and supple in feel and fresh on the cooling and silky finish, where it adds hints of mocha and darker fruit while retaining a sense of etherealness. It should drink well for a decade, perhaps a bit longer.