Domaine de la Janasse

Chateauneuf-du-pape, Southern Rhône

Represented by Isabelle Sabon

Domaine de la Janasse has quickly become one of the Superstar estates of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Led by the dynamic siblings Christophe & Isabelle Sabon, the estate combines the best of both traditional and modern techniques to craft a collection of truly riveting wines from “simple” value-priced VDP’s to benchmark Chateauneufs.

The estate was founded in 1976 by Aimé Sabon, their father, who still oversees the vineyards and farms organically. The property consists of 40 hectares, spread over as many as 70 different parcels throughout the appellation.

While Aimé works in the vineyards, his children Christophe and Isabelle are in charge of wine production. They are self-proclaimed “great defenders of Grenache,” which still represents 75% of their vines. They manage the common rusticity of Grenache-based wines through meticulous work in the vineyards and cellar. The result is a wide range of lavishly ripe, extracted Chateauneuf-du-Papes and Cotes-du-Rhônes that are complex and yet balanced with acidity -- often in contradiction to an appellation better known for sheer exuberance and power. As Robert Parker points out: “The young and talented Christophe Sabon continues to display the sure-handed touch of a veteran winemaker”.