Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Cuvee Prestige 2022 750ml

“Powerful Chateauneuf du Pape with blackberry, raspberry, garrigue, pepper and silky tannins.”

Roger Sabon Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvée Prestige 2022 is a serious Southern Rhône red, rich and powerful, but with enough freshness and polish to stop it becoming hard work.

Blackberry, black raspberry and ripe cherry lead the way, followed by dried herbs, pepper, liquorice and that classic garrigue character of the Southern Rhône. The palate is full bodied and concentrated, with layers of dark fruit and beautifully shaped tannins carrying everything through to a long, savoury finish. James Suckling and Wine Spectator both awarded the 2022 - 94 points.

This Cuvée Prestige sits among Roger Sabon’s more serious Chateauneuf du Pape releases and the 2022 vintage has received excellent reviews across the board. You get concentration, genuine cellar potential and plenty of classic Rhône character from a producer with an excellent reputation in the appellation.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Blackberry, black raspberry, ripe cherry, dried herbs, garrigue, pepper and liquorice.

Palate: Full bodied and concentrated with dark berries, raspberry, Provençal herbs, spice and beautifully polished tannins.

Finish: Long and powerful with lingering black fruit, pepper, herbs, liquorice and a savoury mineral edge.

About The Winery

Domaine Roger Sabon is a family owned estate in Chateauneuf du Pape, founded by Roger Sabon in 1952. The Sabon family has much deeper roots in the region, with its presence recorded in Chateauneuf du Pape as far back as the sixteenth century.

Cuvée Prestige is one of the estate’s more powerful and concentrated reds. Grenache provides the generous fruit and warmth, Syrah brings darker fruit and spice, while Mourvèdre and smaller amounts of traditional Rhône varieties add savoury depth and structure. The result is unmistakably Chateauneuf du Pape, but with a lovely sense of polish underneath all that power.

This is not the bottle you open because somebody has ordered pizza and happened to find a corkscrew. Give it some air, give it a decent glass, and let it do what it was made to do.

Cellaring Potential

Roger Sabon Cuvée Prestige 2022 has the fruit and structure for serious cellaring. It is beginning to open now with a good decant, but will reward patience. A drinking window from around 2026 through to 2040 is very realistic under good storage conditions.

Collector’s Note

The 2022 Cuvée Prestige has received 94 points from James Suckling, 94 points from Wine Spectator, 93 points from Robert Parker Wine Advocate and 92 points from Vinous. Jeb Dunnuck also rated the wine 94 to 96 points from barrel, praising its depth, concentration and polished style.

For collectors of Southern Rhône reds, this is a very strong vintage of one of Roger Sabon’s signature Chateauneuf du Pape cuvées.

Details

Producer: Domaine Roger Sabon
Vintage: 2022
Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Vaccarèse, Counoise
Region: Chateauneuf du Pape, Rhône Valley, France
Bottle Size: 750ml
Wine Style: Powerful premium Southern Rhône red
Wine Sweetness: Dry
Wine Body: Full bodied
ABV: 15%
Blend: 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 3% Vaccarèse, 2% Counoise
Classification: Chateauneuf du Pape AOC
Review: 94 points, James Suckling
Review: 94 points, Wine Spectator
Review: 93 points, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Review: 92 points, Vinous