Roger Sabon, Chateauneuf du Pape AOC, Le Secret des Sabon

About Roger Sabon

A more recent patriarch of the family, Seraphin Sabon first bottled wine in the appellation under the family s name in 1921. He also fathered three very enterprising sons, all of whom established their own domaines: Joseph Sabon at Clos du Mont Olivet, Noel Sabon at Chante Cigale and Roger Sabon. The size of the domaine has grown slowly over the years with 18 hectares in Chateauneuf du Pape, 8 hectares in Lirac and 8 hectares in C tes-du-Rh ne. Most of their holdings in Ch teauneuf-du-Pape are located in the northeastern part of the appellation, where the soils are sandier with a high concentration of limestone. They also own a few parcels in Le Crau famous for its red clay under a deep layer of galets deposited from the alp's eons ago. Since 2001 Didier Negron has made the wines at Domaine Roger Sabon, but recently he s begun to move away from demi-muids and barriques in favor of aging his family s wines in concrete and large French oak foudres. While the terroir of Roger Sabon, with its high concentration of sand and limestone, has always been inclined to a more ethereal and delicate style of Ch teauneuf. While Grenache is the mainstay at the Domaine, they also grow Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Terret Noire, Counoise, Vaccar se Muscardin, Roussanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Grenache Blanc. They own some fairly old Syrah, about 60 years old, located on limestone soils which is an important component in the Prestige bottling. Their oldest vines, topping 100 years old, are located in two plots near Courth zon, and are the source for the Secret des Sabon.