Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape XXL 2019 (Magnum 1.5L)

Domaine de la Janasse is in the building! The 2019 vintage was an all-time EPIC showing for the south of France, and when you give a long-time legend such as Janasse the absolute perfect growing conditions...magic happens. The XXL is the absolute tippy-top best in the Janasse portfolio, made only in particularly spectacular vintages...and 2019 was simply stunning. Janasse is one of the world’s foremost champions of grenache, not to mention one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape's greatest stars, and the XXL is everything you could hope for. Bigger, deeper, with greater intensity, and never-ending complexity.

The legendary Aimé Sabon started the estate in the ‘70s, handing it over to his children – who have continued to impress the critics, other CdP estates, the whole of France, and even jaded wine slingers like us! 90 hectares of the best vineyards, the oldest vines, and the most sensational juice in the land. For this rarity, however, the fruit is limited to just four single plots, with vines ranging from 60-100 years old, and all grown in CdP’s iconic galets roulés. La Barnouine, Chapouin, La Crau, and Les Saummades – some of the region’s top lieu-dits, secured parcel by parcel over the decades by the patient and purposeful Aimé Sabon. Beginning in the early 1990s, the next generation took over. Christophe Sabon –Aimé's eldest son– came back from Beaune with degrees in viticulture, oenology, and marketing and was subsequently given control of the cellar. A decade later, his sister, Isabelle, graduated from the University of Toulouse – also with an oenology degree, and joined Chris in the cellar. Together they have only fortified the Sabon family name – and are without a doubt crafting some of the best wines in the estate’s storied history.

Only some 300 cases were produced of the 2019 – making this one of the most collectible and rare 100-point CdPs anywhere! 65% grenache, then mostly syrah, with a smattering of Châteauneuf’s other players – this is a gem that cannot be overlooked. Jeb called it “a more elegant, pure, balanced profile” than other iterations of this flagship, and yet it remains “incredibly powerful and opulent...somehow manages to stay perfectly balanced, has a wonderful sense of freshness, silky yet substantial tannins, and an awesome finish.” We couldn’t say it better. Read the full review below, then grab a bottle or three to set up for rockstar Rhone drinking for the next two decades!