2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Olivets

Bright ruby. Spicy, mineral-driven aromas of red berries, spicecake and lavender are alluringly pure and focused. A racy, sweet midweight that offers juicy strawberry and raspberry flavors, with silky tannins adding support. The floral quality echoes through the persistent, spicy, tannin-free finish. This is drinking well right now.

A blend of 80% Grenache and the rest Syrah and Cinsault from 50-year-old vines, the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Olivets is a beautiful sleeper of the vintage. This sexy, full-bodied wine possesses a dark plum/purple color, abundant aromas of pepper, lavender, forest floor, and roast beef, a lush, layered style, and 10-12 years of drinkability. While this is one of Chateauneuf du Pape’s finest estates, it is not nearly as big as one might suspect given the market penetration they have enjoyed throughout the world. From their 42 acres of vines scattered among 15 separate Chateauneuf du Pape parcels, Roger Sabon produces four cuvees of red wine as well as a small quantity of white wines. Three of the red wines are based on old vine Grenache, and the limited production Le Secret des Sabon comes from a 100+- year-old parcel of primarily Grenache and other field varietals that are cropped at incredibly tiny yields of less than one-half ton of fruit per acre. The property is currently managed by Jean-Jacques Sabon with his son-in-law, Didier Negron, who has been the oenologist since 2001. The history of this estate is intriguing as the first estate bottled wine was made in 1921, when the property was run by Seraphin Sabon, who had three sons, Joseph (the founder of Clos du Mont-Olivet), Noel (who started the Domaine Chante Cigale), and Roger (who created this estate in 1952). All of the following offerings are traditionally made wines, based largely on Grenache, that spend 12-15 months in foudres. Occasionally, a small percentage is aged in small, 3- to 4-year-old oak barrels. The only exceptions are the Cuvee Prestige, which is aged mostly in foudres and small new oak (25-30%), and the Secret des Sabon, which is aged in one-year-old demi-muids. 2007 may be the strongest vintage across the board that I have ever tasted at Roger Sabon. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC: tel. (704) 358-1565

Smooth and polished, the 2007 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Olivets is primarily (80%) Grenache and shows sweet blackberry and kirsch fruit, toasted bread and spice aromas that carry into a medium bodied, textured palate. The wine displays the freshness of the vintage and shows beautiful precision on the long finish. Drink over the next 10 years.