Community Tasting Note

Jon Harrison Likes this wine:

Monday, November 29, 2021 - (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.
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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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