Domaine de la Janasse - Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Terre d'Argile 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

On the finest terroirs in Courthézon, the Domaine de la Janasse, the pride of the Sabon family, has established itself as one of the appellation's benchmarks for over 40 years. Christophe Sabon produces Côtes-du-Rhône wines of the highest level, with rare depth. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines are expressed through different cuvées: chaupin, from a cold terroir with a very Burgundian approach, or the cuvée vieilles-vignes, sunnier and racier. Finally, the whites, in the shadow of the reds, are just as recommendable. The entire range is beyond reproach, and the great vintages are among the appellation's benchmarks.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

A cuvée well known to our readers, adding a new line to its already impressive list of achievements. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan in equal parts have shaped this full-bodied, heady red. A year's ageing in barrel has added toasty nuances to a bouquet centered on macerated cherry and cocoa butter. This full-bodied character is reflected in a silky, concentrated palate, gently framed by ripe, chalky tannins and spice-infused wood.

About the domain :

A regular in the Guide, often featured prominently for its Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes-du-Rhône and IGP wines. Christophe Sabon and his sister Isabelle, children of Aimé Sabon, who founded the estate in 1973, manage a 90-hectare vineyard scattered over many parcels. The estate was completed in 2015 with the purchase of Clos Saint-Antonin and its 15 ha of vines in the Jonquières commune.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

A ripe bouquet of garrigue and spices, marked by Mourvèdre and Syrah, with hints of menthol and eucalyptus. Serious, powerful, racy juice.

About the domain :

This great estate, which has belonged to the Sabon family for generations, is one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape's elite. Most of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vines are located in the commune of Courthézon, with the parcels and soils of the various cuvées being fragmented. The domaine also produces some splendid Côtes-du-Rhône cuvées (important in terms of volume), from vines adjacent to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. With often very high maturities, the wines are opulent in style, sometimes a little too warm in sunny vintages. On the other hand, the tannins and textures are always of great finesse. In recent vintages, the wines have become less rich and slightly more digestible.

Wine Spectator

Jancis Robinson

Vinous A. Galloni

James Suckling

About the wine:

A juicy, well-made, lively red. Notes of black cherries, warm herbs and baking spices. Medium-bodied, with velvety tannins and texture. Serious and well-driven, with a core of spiced cherries and dark chocolate, lifted by notes of pepper and roasted herbs on the palate. Lively and full of life. For drinking or cellaring.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

Slightly darker in hue, the Côtes Du Rhône Villages Terre D'Argile 2022 shows more black raspberry and darker cherry notes, as well as plenty of spicy herbs, flowers and garrigue-like nuances. Wonderfully textured, medium to full-bodied, with a hint of oak in the background, this rock-star Côtes Du Rhône should be bought by the case.