Roger Sabon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Le Secret des Sabon 2022

Gorgeous all the way, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Le Secret Des Sabon sports a deep, saturated purple hue to go with layered notes of black and blue fruits, ground pepper, liquid violets, graphite, and God knows what else. Deep rich, full-bodied, and unctuous, with moderate acidity yet incredible purity, it's up with the gems of the vintage.

A solid, well-built and vertical red with aromas of dark berries, dark plums, grilled herbs, warm spices and a touch of black pepper. Full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Nice fruit at the center, with an array of dark cherries and blueberries mingling with the spices. The solid frame of tannins brings discipline and drive to the peppery finish. Try after 2028.

Pronounced lavender, forest strawberry, black cherry, liquorice, crushed violets and a pinch of white pepper frame the multifaceted 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Secret de Sabon. Firmly assembled like a skyscraper, the structured 2022 packs remarkable intensity on the full-bodied palate yet balances it with fresh acidity. In terms of quality, I’d place the 2022 right between the 2020 and 2021 vintages, all three cruising at similarly high altitudes.

A blend of 95% Grenache Noir and 5% of several authorized varieties, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape le Secret de Sabon exhales delicate, elegant notes of dark cherries, flowers, spices, licorice and dark wild berries. Medium to full-bodied, enveloping and suave, it's layered and textured with a fleshy core of fruit, concluding with a long, spicy finish. Macerated for 35 days and partly destemmed, this is a great effort.