1994 Chateauneuf du Pape Chaupin

Sabon's 1994s are noteworthy. Although fatter and more unctuously-textured than the 1993s, they are gorgeously made, rich, vibrant expressions of Chateauneuf du Pape. The 1994 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Chaupoins reveals lavish amounts of black-cherry and cassis fruit intermingled with scents of spice, cedar, and black olives. Dense and highly-extracted, with full body, and admirable quantities of glycerin, this is a sweet tasting (from ripe fruit, not sugar), long, layered, impressively-endowed wine with some tannin in the finish. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15 years. Aime Sabon has emerged as one of the bright shining stars of Chateauneuf du Pape. Her wines are not to be missed, although Europeans are quickly catching on to their sumptuousness and exhilarating precision and richness. Sabon enjoyed considerable success in both 1993 and 1994. Domaine de la Janasse has not yet received the world-wide recognition it deserves, so shrewd buyers are advised to stock up. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, New York, NY; tel. (212) 924-4949