Chateauneuf du Pape Le Secret de Sabons Domaine Roger Sabon 2009 (750ML)

I was surprised by the softness and silkiness of the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Secret des Sabon. Largely a field blend estimated to be about 90% Grenache and 10% unidentifiable varieties, it is the most accessible Secret des Sabon made to date. Its opaque purple color is followed by hints of coffee beans, new saddle leather and vanillin (the wine was aged in 1-2 year old 600-liter demi-muids), broad, powerful, concentrated flavors and tannins in the finish...95+ WA 10/11

Dark, with very alluring espresso and smoke notes weaving through the dense flavors of fig paste, currant preserves, Black Forest cake and melted licorice. Features intense graphite and black tea notes on the finish, which is packed for now, but has the underlying racy acidity to stretch it out via cellaring. Best from 2012 through 2024...95 WS 9/11

Aged all in demi-muid, the tiny production 2009 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Secret des Sabon is up there with the top 4-5 wines of the vintage. Showing awesome aromatics of framboise, licorice, garrigue, spice, flowers, graphite, and huge minerality and crushed stone, this is a thrilling on the palate with a deep, full-bodied feel, superb focus, and boatloads of underlying structure and tannin. As is normal with this estate, despite the overall size, this still maintains an underlying sense of balance, and dare I say, finesse. This needs time; bottles should be given 5-6 years in the cellar, and it should have 2 decades of evolution. Gorgeous stuff!..97 RR 09/11