Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 2020 (Magnum 1.5L)

DOMAINE de la JANASSE, people! You might have noticed, but we’re huge fans of the Sabon family...This top-of-the-class cuvee is a long-standing favorite among the fiercest Châteauneuf collectors. 98 POINTS and universal acclaim make this the magnum to add to your collection!

The Sabon Family certainly has a way with CdP. A huge chunk of this old vine cuvee is from ancient 100+-year-old vines (another is from a spring chicken site of only 80+ years) for a final blend of 85% grenache, 10% syrah, and 5% mourvèdre. In the supple and elegant 2020 vintage, this wine is “immediately impressive” (Decanter), where “nothing is out of place...perfectly balanced, authoritative, powerful...” (Dunnuck), and when all is said and done, just “a perfect marriage of the different soils and varieties, certain aging potential.” (Falstaff)

We simply couldn’t agree more. The estate's flagship cuvée, from four revered parcels (but mostly La Crau and La Janasse) – all on different terroirs which complement the final blend (CdP's classic rolled pebbles for richness and power, fine, quick-draining sand for freshness, red clay for structure and body, and lastly a sandy-limestone hillside which uplifts the aromatics and instills a high-toned finesse). This is simply a masterclass of Châteauneuf-du-Pape blending, and the wine is exceptionally stunning in its youth, all while possessing the necessary traits to age gracefully over the next twenty-plus years in the cellar.

The wine pours a dark ruby purple, with intoxicating aromatics that range from peonies and candied violets to crushed blackberries and roasted herbs de Provence. The structure is noticeable, yet supremely integrated, and the overall mouthfeel is silky yet expansive. The finish is long and mineral – with graphite and scorched earth harnessing the impressive fruit profile so that the no-sip finishes with any hint of saccharine jamminess. It’s a varied range, to be certain, and all the more fantastic in that there is never a slip, a missed connection, a bump in the road – nothing. This is a complete and whole wine from the first sip to the last – and one we can’t wait to see develop over the coming years.

The estate got started in the early 1970s when Aimé Sabon took over his father’s farm. Like many in Châteauneuf, the family had always sold their grapes to the local co-op, but Aimé bucked that trend – building his own cellar and producing his own wines. He named it Domaine de la Janasse after the family farm in Courthézon, in the locality of “La Janasse”. Starting with 15 hectares, Aimé’s ambition led to his acquiring more and more neighboring plots...today, the estate has over 90 hectares. We got as many as we could, but 98-point magnums from all-time legendary estates don’t tend to last long, especially at prices like this!

PAIRING IDEAS: One of New Orleans’ signature dishes is grillades of beef served over creamy grits. These tender cutlets, finished with a rich gravy, are melt-in-your-mouth good, and this wine will make it all even better!