Dynamo hummm yum. Sabon is on! Sweet raspberry liqueur, kirsch, plum, garrigue, stones, bit of blood, fat, and tobacco all in perfect, creamy, velvety, acidic, tannic harmony.
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High/Low Blind Tasting III (Amy and Scott's house): Decanted about 1.5 hours. Full-bodied and attention-seeking, with flashy fruit and a hearty disposition. For CDP, this is balanced and drinking well, I hope it stays that way for a decade. Served blind alongside a simpler Rhone, all 11 tasters preferred this.
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High/Low Blind Tasting III (Eagan, MN): High Low Tasting: No secret this was my favorite wine of the tasting. Excellent showing and low that funk along with gravel, earth, spices, red berries, stone and tar. Just a unique profile and very nicely balanced. Could drink the whole bottle for sure.
About 20 minute decant and then drank over about 2 hours. While a decent wine, for the price point, I was totally underwhelmed. Lots of blueberries on the pallet and nose. Still noticable tannins. My friend commented on how balanced it was. Good mouthfeel and finish. Just expected a lot more given its price and the comments others have made.
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No poker night (Jason and Mariellen's house): Decanted about 2 hours. This had a funky nose and a fun, flashy palate. There's a bit of anise, cassis and blackberry liqueur. This reminded me of a Pegau, just a touch smoother. This bottle seemed significantly more complex than one opened 1.5 years ago.
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P: Fresh dark red fruits, savory dark minerals, savory oak and cigar wrapping on the finish.
This is one of the more fresher CdPs I've ever had. There's really good fruit on the palate with a supporting freshness that makes it markedly different than the other CdPs I've had before. Pretty damn awesome.
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Sorry, Not Sorry! No Poker on Poker Night! (Jason's House): I don't recall having one of these before and am not familiar with this producer, but it was definitely my style of CdP! Fruit forward with plush red fruits (raspberry and cherry), some blackberry, some meaty notes, some sage and other herbs, and some anise. The tannins were fine and velvety, giving the wine a creamy mouthfeel. Finish was medium. A very nice wine and squarely in my wheelhouse! Thanks for bringing this Joe! A solid 94 for me!
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Bring a bottle that you've been saving..: Drank single blind, I brought this and guessed it correctly. I have a feeling Roger Sabon is a bit more modern producer and this wine would agree. Flashy red to almost blue fruit. Kirsch, herbs, earth. This is drinking well now, although not a rockstar, and I really hope it will age well, but I don't know if it will.
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The wines of Roger Sabon have been on my radar for about ten years now and I have always thought the “Prestige” designation was, pound-for-pound, one of the better values in all of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. However, for one reason or another, I never seem to drink them that often. This particular bottle of “Le Secret des Sabon” was a lone singleton resting in my cellar since release. My wife, after an unusually exhausting week of work, said she wanted to drink something “impressive”...which means to me that the juice better not suck. And while “Le Secret” has a reputation for being one of the great wines from the entire appellation, I was taking some risk when I selected this bottle since I had no personal experience with it. As soon as I pulled the cork, it was clear this was going to be a special experience. Glass staining garnet with a touch of color that looks almost brown-ish however, there are no signs of decomposition. There is, however, a fairly decent amount of fine sediment. The fruit...well...the fruit is simply sensational. We’re talking fistfuls of the purest raspberries and cherries with some star anise, slightly burned pie crust and black pepper. This is a wine of tremendous texture and balance. Medium acid and medium plus tannins, the latter of which are so fine and silky. The ABV is stated as 15% but it’s so well hidden you would hardly notice. My only wish was that “Le Secret des Sabon” wasn’t so expensive...but there is no doubt about its quality. Drinking so well now but could easily hold for longer if necessary.
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Thsi wine is realy top at the moment. Complex nose, fruity and crispy, herbes, earthy notes, covered by soft tannins, full bodied, dark red color. With a little air now it opens up more and more. It was and will be one of my favourite !
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Still a baby, on the elegant side, but still has intense fruit and earthy notes. Followed the Clos Papes, this wine lacks the raisin notes. Beautiful balance, long finish, years to go.
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Winebar [3 Whites & 6 Reds] from 8/4/17 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): From the U.S. Importer's site: "In the cellar there is a demi-muid in the shadows alone and apart from the rest of the demi-muids and foudres, maybe this is the Secret des Sabon? Le Secret des Sabon began as an experimental cuvée and which has evolved to be one of the top wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. With only about a single demi-muid produced each year, from presumably old vines with their correspondingly low yields, there isn’t much to go around. If we had to guess, we’d say that it is primarily Grenache and that it bears the hallmarks of a sandy terroir, but given the reticence of Didier [the winemaker] and the generally more ethereal house style here, this is pure speculation." Jancis Robinson states the R.S. as 2.7 g/l..
Color [upon which I virtually never comment]: INKY!
P: Full body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt met by puckerish astringency which only somewhat subsides by the LONG, slightly tangy, bitterswt finish. A massive wine that NEEDS "several" [& I can't be more specific :( ] yrs to come together? TOO over the top for my palate, though I'm sure some will LOVE it. 94-96 pts WA, 95 ea WS & Jeff Leve, 93-95 ea Int'l Wine Cellars & Vinous [before they merged], 17.5/20 La Revue du Vin de FR, and 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson. [While I SERIOUSLY doubt they still have any, this vendor's $69.95 *demolishes* the next closest April 2018 wine-searcher competitor by > $55!]
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Tremendous CDP. Red berries on the nose & palate. Forest floor & mushrooms on the palate with licorice evident. Low tanin & acidity. A nice accompaniment with red pizza.
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Cork was a little dry but it didn't crumble and the wine wasn't corked. But something must be off because this was nowhere near a great drinking experience. I've got $27 CDPs in my cellar right now that shame this $100 bottle.
If Sabon wants to gives us a redo we're open to it. Otherwise, make sure you try someone else's bottle before you buy your own.
Deep in color, with an explosive nose of thyme, black raspberry, kirsch and herbs that are followed by a plush, supple textured, layer of sweet, fresh, black cherries, kirsch and a hint of jam.
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En primeur tasting. More expressive nose, spicy, mineral, sweet, delicate fruit. Powerful and big, but good freshness. Dense tannic frame. Great length and persistence, needs time. Great future. 93-95+
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4/1/2024 - Quaffing in Colorado Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dynamo hummm yum. Sabon is on! Sweet raspberry liqueur, kirsch, plum, garrigue, stones, bit of blood, fat, and tobacco all in perfect, creamy, velvety, acidic, tannic harmony.
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3/10/2024 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
High/Low Blind Tasting III (Amy and Scott's house): Decanted about 1.5 hours. Full-bodied and attention-seeking, with flashy fruit and a hearty disposition. For CDP, this is balanced and drinking well, I hope it stays that way for a decade. Served blind alongside a simpler Rhone, all 11 tasters preferred this.
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3/9/2024 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 95 Points
High/Low Blind Tasting III (Eagan, MN): High Low Tasting: No secret this was my favorite wine of the tasting. Excellent showing and low that funk along with gravel, earth, spices, red berries, stone and tar. Just a unique profile and very nicely balanced. Could drink the whole bottle for sure.
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10/6/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine: 91 Points
About 20 minute decant and then drank over about 2 hours. While a decent wine, for the price point, I was totally underwhelmed. Lots of blueberries on the pallet and nose. Still noticable tannins. My friend commented on how balanced it was. Good mouthfeel and finish. Just expected a lot more given its price and the comments others have made.
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1/16/2023 - Rasmussenbrent wrote: 94 Points
Wow this bottle is drinking amazing right now.
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11/13/2022 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
No poker night (Jason and Mariellen's house): Decanted about 2 hours. This had a funky nose and a fun, flashy palate. There's a bit of anise, cassis and blackberry liqueur. This reminded me of a Pegau, just a touch smoother. This bottle seemed significantly more complex than one opened 1.5 years ago.
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11/12/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wine weekend in the Twin Cities; 11/10/2022-11/12/2022 (Where the frosty air is refreshing.. kind of): N: Red flowers, gentle aromas of freshly grown baby mushrooms, gentle tree bark, wet and damp earth.
P: Fresh dark red fruits, savory dark minerals, savory oak and cigar wrapping on the finish.
This is one of the more fresher CdPs I've ever had. There's really good fruit on the palate with a supporting freshness that makes it markedly different than the other CdPs I've had before. Pretty damn awesome.
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11/12/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sorry, Not Sorry! No Poker on Poker Night! (Jason's House): I don't recall having one of these before and am not familiar with this producer, but it was definitely my style of CdP! Fruit forward with plush red fruits (raspberry and cherry), some blackberry, some meaty notes, some sage and other herbs, and some anise. The tannins were fine and velvety, giving the wine a creamy mouthfeel. Finish was medium. A very nice wine and squarely in my wheelhouse! Thanks for bringing this Joe! A solid 94 for me!
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3/8/2021 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Bring a bottle that you've been saving..: Drank single blind, I brought this and guessed it correctly. I have a feeling Roger Sabon is a bit more modern producer and this wine would agree. Flashy red to almost blue fruit. Kirsch, herbs, earth. This is drinking well now, although not a rockstar, and I really hope it will age well, but I don't know if it will.
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1/25/2021 - thesternowl wrote: 94 Points
The wines of Roger Sabon have been on my radar for about ten years now and I have always thought the “Prestige” designation was, pound-for-pound, one of the better values in all of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. However, for one reason or another, I never seem to drink them that often. This particular bottle of “Le Secret des Sabon” was a lone singleton resting in my cellar since release. My wife, after an unusually exhausting week of work, said she wanted to drink something “impressive”...which means to me that the juice better not suck. And while “Le Secret” has a reputation for being one of the great wines from the entire appellation, I was taking some risk when I selected this bottle since I had no personal experience with it. As soon as I pulled the cork, it was clear this was going to be a special experience. Glass staining garnet with a touch of color that looks almost brown-ish however, there are no signs of decomposition. There is, however, a fairly decent amount of fine sediment. The fruit...well...the fruit is simply sensational. We’re talking fistfuls of the purest raspberries and cherries with some star anise, slightly burned pie crust and black pepper. This is a wine of tremendous texture and balance. Medium acid and medium plus tannins, the latter of which are so fine and silky. The ABV is stated as 15% but it’s so well hidden you would hardly notice. My only wish was that “Le Secret des Sabon” wasn’t so expensive...but there is no doubt about its quality. Drinking so well now but could easily hold for longer if necessary.
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9/27/2020 - SAP Likes this wine: 95 Points
Thsi wine is realy top at the moment. Complex nose, fruity and crispy, herbes, earthy notes, covered by soft tannins, full bodied, dark red color. With a little air now it opens up more and more. It was and will be one of my favourite !
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8/2/2019 - BBinSC wrote: 94 Points
Still a baby, on the elegant side, but still has intense fruit and earthy notes. Followed the Clos Papes, this wine lacks the raisin notes. Beautiful balance, long finish, years to go.
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11/18/2018 - F_&_M Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is what CDP all about!
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8/5/2017 - srh wrote:
Winebar [3 Whites & 6 Reds] from 8/4/17 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): From the U.S. Importer's site: "In the cellar there is a demi-muid in the shadows alone and apart from the rest of the demi-muids and foudres, maybe this is the Secret des Sabon? Le Secret des Sabon began as an experimental cuvée and which has evolved to be one of the top wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. With only about a single demi-muid produced each year, from presumably old vines with their correspondingly low yields, there isn’t much to go around. If we had to guess, we’d say that it is primarily Grenache and that it bears the hallmarks of a sandy terroir, but given the reticence of Didier [the winemaker] and the generally more ethereal house style here, this is pure speculation." Jancis Robinson states the R.S. as 2.7 g/l..
Color [upon which I virtually never comment]: INKY!
N: Plums (prunes?), figs, choc? Intensity lurking!
P: Full body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt met by puckerish astringency which only somewhat subsides by the LONG, slightly tangy, bitterswt finish. A massive wine that NEEDS "several" [& I can't be more specific :( ] yrs to come together? TOO over the top for my palate, though I'm sure some will LOVE it. 94-96 pts WA, 95 ea WS & Jeff Leve, 93-95 ea Int'l Wine Cellars & Vinous [before they merged], 17.5/20 La Revue du Vin de FR, and 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson. [While I SERIOUSLY doubt they still have any, this vendor's $69.95 *demolishes* the next closest April 2018 wine-searcher competitor by > $55!]
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1/1/2017 - Cschall wrote: 95 Points
Tremendous CDP. Red berries on the nose & palate. Forest floor & mushrooms on the palate with licorice evident. Low tanin & acidity. A nice accompaniment with red pizza.
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11/6/2016 - masf80 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Young wine needs another 5+ years, opened up after 24 hrs definite worth another bottle for down the road.
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2/23/2016 - Tim and Bonnie wrote: 88 Points
Cork was a little dry but it didn't crumble and the wine wasn't corked. But something must be off because this was nowhere near a great drinking experience. I've got $27 CDPs in my cellar right now that shame this $100 bottle.
If Sabon wants to gives us a redo we're open to it. Otherwise, make sure you try someone else's bottle before you buy your own.
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8/4/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Deep in color, with an explosive nose of thyme, black raspberry, kirsch and herbs that are followed by a plush, supple textured, layer of sweet, fresh, black cherries, kirsch and a hint of jam.
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3/3/2014 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
En primeur tasting. More expressive nose, spicy, mineral, sweet, delicate fruit. Powerful and big, but good freshness. Dense tannic frame. Great length and persistence, needs time. Great future. 93-95+
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