Described by legendary wine critic Robert Parker as “one of the more intellectual vignerons in Chateauneuf-du-Pape”, Roger Sabon founded his namesake domaine in 1952. The Sabon family were first mentioned in the region in documents dating back to 1540, with Roger’s father, Seraphin Sabon, the first to bottle wine under the family name.
Roger Sabon is recognised as one of the appellation’s finest producers thanks to their exceptional terroir and old vines dating back to the early 1900s. Today the domaine has 18 hectares in northeastern Chateauneuf-du-Pape planted on fine limestone and sandy soils. Their Prestige cuvee is a typical local blend featuring plenty of Grenache along with Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and tiny amounts of other indigenous varieties. The wines are aged in the traditional way, in old 40 hectolitre foudres and 600 litre demi-muids.
This insistence on minimal oak influence helps to showcase the natural character of the terroir and the Grenache. There’s a solid core of dark fruit, predominantly ripe plum, blackberry, and cassis, along with subtle hints of baking spice, leather, and smoked meat which linger on the tongue. The punchy profile makes this a great wine to pair with earthy game dishes like venison or pheasant, or a wild boar ragu served with fresh pasta.