Over the past quarter-century, Domaine de la Janasse has become one of the most highly regarded estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Led by siblings Christophe and Isabelle Sabon, the estate combines the best of both traditional and modern techniques to create a collection of truly compelling wines, from "simple," well-priced VDPs to their benchmark Châteauneufs. The estate was founded in 1976 by Aime Sabon, Christophe and Isabelle's father, who still oversees the vineyards. The property covers 90 hectares, spread across no fewer than 70 different parcels within the appellation. The terroirs range from sandy soils, as found in their well-known parcels in the north of the appellation—Chapouin and La Janasse—to light-colored clay-limestone soils, to gravelly red clay and galette, most prominent in their parcels in Le Crau in the south.
The estate is treated with respect; harvesting is therefore manual. Furthermore, pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides are prohibited. The berries are 80 percent destemmed before being macerated for 18 to 21 days and manually soaked daily. The Syrah and Mourvèdre are aged in barrels, and the Grenaches in barrels.
The aromas are reminiscent of the south, with notes of aromatic herbs, black olives, red fruit, and chocolate. On the palate, the tannins are complex and have a lovely minerality. The wine is rich and expressive. It's a beautiful wine that can easily be kept for ten years and should be opened at least an hour before serving.
