PnP at cellar temp. Sour cherries on the nose and not much else. Muted flavors at first, and my wife and I both agreed it needed to warm up. It really needs air at this point; after an hour it started adding weight. Smooth tannins and sour cherry flavors with the slightest hint of earth. It may have the stuffing there, but wasn't showing it tonight. Hold or give a long decant.
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PnP, dark purple in color. Nose is black fruit, leather, bay leaf, spice. Palate is blackberry, black cherry, strawberry, spice, pepper, hint of black licorice. Nicely complex and balanced. Full bodied, relatively tannic, slight clip on the finish. Delicious, well-made wine. Likely to improve with age.
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(Imported by Eric Solomon/European Cellars) This is a special cuvée from the Sabon family (since 1540 in CDP). From 100-year-old vines near Courthézon, planted by Seraphin Sabon. Said to be 95% old-vine Grenache. Tiny production. One 600L demi-muid? (65 cases). "Le Secret" is a bit of a secret. This tastes to me like it has a dollop of old-vine Syrah in it. But it could just be extremely ripe Grenache. _______________
Color: Very dark ruby. Distinct. Especially for a Grenache cuvée.
Nose: Deep, dark pool of of blue/black fruits and Rhone spices. Black damson plum, violets, southern Rhone spices. Hard to believe this is 95% GR.
Palate: Full body (15% alc), mouth-filling, lush, glossy (glycerin), and very concentrated. Loads of black cherry, black damson plum, and Rhone spice. Long finish. Big noticable tannins. But they are not green.
Obviously this is late-harvested fruit. The wine has a very dark color and almost Port-like dark fruit aromas, flavors and mouth feel (sur-maturité). Dark and brooding.
From the great 2016 vintage.
Optimum drinking widow? The '16 Sabon "Le Secret" is drinking well right now: big, lush and dark. It is sort of caught between being a young great wine and a mature great wine. Hopefully, this will develop more aromatic complexity by 2025.
93: now 94: 2025-2035 (from a cool proper cellar).
JGH sommelier CMS-III, San Francisco/Bay Area
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Very closed for first hour. Decant 3 hours for best experience. Will improve with a couple more years. Light and fruity, yet complex. Strawberries and black pepper. Superb with peppered steak and parmesan.
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2016 Chateauneuf du Pape 99/100 point wine taste-off (and a couple of pirate Rhone wines): Amongst a number of the CdP beasts in the lineup, the Sabon was a beauty, with a well-orchestrated cadence of delivery and a sauntering flavor expansion, it offers flavors of red and black berry fruit unfolding with notable self-control and poise. Finishes slightly diluted. Short term cellaring is recommended here, but this will never be as strapping and concentrated as some of the others.
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The wine offers a myriad complexities on the nose. On the palate, the wine serves up a dense, decadently, opulent finish. The wine feels like each berry was hand polished, elegant and pure with all the depth your can handle everything is balanced and harmonious. The wine is produced from 95% old vine Grenache with 5% coming from various grape varieties.
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10/15/2023 - Crunge wrote:
PnP at cellar temp. Sour cherries on the nose and not much else. Muted flavors at first, and my wife and I both agreed it needed to warm up. It really needs air at this point; after an hour it started adding weight. Smooth tannins and sour cherry flavors with the slightest hint of earth. It may have the stuffing there, but wasn't showing it tonight. Hold or give a long decant.
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12/27/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine: 95 Points
PnP, dark purple in color. Nose is black fruit, leather, bay leaf, spice. Palate is blackberry, black cherry, strawberry, spice, pepper, hint of black licorice. Nicely complex and balanced. Full bodied, relatively tannic, slight clip on the finish. Delicious, well-made wine. Likely to improve with age.
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11/29/2021 - Jon Harrison Likes this wine: 94 Points
(Imported by Eric Solomon/European Cellars)
This is a special cuvée from the Sabon family (since 1540 in CDP). From 100-year-old vines near Courthézon, planted by Seraphin Sabon. Said to be 95% old-vine Grenache. Tiny production. One 600L demi-muid? (65 cases). "Le Secret" is a bit of a secret. This tastes to me like it has a dollop of old-vine Syrah in it. But it could just be extremely ripe Grenache.
_______________
Color: Very dark ruby. Distinct. Especially for a Grenache cuvée.
Nose: Deep, dark pool of of blue/black fruits and Rhone spices. Black damson plum, violets, southern Rhone spices. Hard to believe this is 95% GR.
Palate: Full body (15% alc), mouth-filling, lush, glossy (glycerin), and very concentrated. Loads of black cherry, black damson plum, and Rhone spice. Long finish. Big noticable tannins. But they are not green.
Obviously this is late-harvested fruit. The wine has a very dark color and almost Port-like dark fruit aromas, flavors and mouth feel (sur-maturité). Dark and brooding.
From the great 2016 vintage.
Optimum drinking widow? The '16 Sabon "Le Secret" is drinking well right now: big, lush and dark. It is sort of caught between being a young great wine and a mature great wine. Hopefully, this will develop more aromatic complexity by 2025.
93: now
94: 2025-2035 (from a cool proper cellar).
JGH sommelier CMS-III, San Francisco/Bay Area
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10/9/2021 - happy712 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very closed for first hour. Decant 3 hours for best experience. Will improve with a couple more years. Light and fruity, yet complex. Strawberries and black pepper. Superb with peppered steak and parmesan.
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8/3/2021 - DrX Likes this wine: 97 Points
Epic Grenache. Extremely dark and full bodied. Flavors loiter for an extended period after a sip.
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7/7/2021 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
2016 Chateauneuf du Pape 99/100 point wine taste-off (and a couple of pirate Rhone wines): Amongst a number of the CdP beasts in the lineup, the Sabon was a beauty, with a well-orchestrated cadence of delivery and a sauntering flavor expansion, it offers flavors of red and black berry fruit unfolding with notable self-control and poise. Finishes slightly diluted. Short term cellaring is recommended here, but this will never be as strapping and concentrated as some of the others.
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9/12/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
The wine offers a myriad complexities on the nose. On the palate, the wine serves up a dense, decadently, opulent finish. The wine feels like each berry was hand polished, elegant and pure with all the depth your can handle everything is balanced and harmonious. The wine is produced from 95% old vine Grenache with 5% coming from various grape varieties.
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