Domaine Roger Sabon | domaine viticole

OUR ESTATE

Our family estate was founded in 1952 by Roger SABON.

After several generations, the estate has reached a total surface of 50 hectares split up on both sides of the Rhône. 18 hectares belong to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, on the left bank of the River, and spread over 14 different plots.

On the right bank, the vineyard includes 12 hectares in the Lirac appellation, 6 hectares of Côtes-du-Rhône and 14 hectares of Vin de France.

This diversity allows us to develop and offer our customers a wide choice of wines with varied profiles

TERROIR

Within the same appellation, we own plots with sometimes radically different geological profiles. This allows us to produce wines with diverse oenological characteristics.

The parcels covered with RIVER ROCKS, which are composed of pure silica, are in fact remains of deposits dating from the quaternary era. These plots produce wines with tight, rich and opulent tannic palettes. These wines most often present very ripe red and black fruit aromas.

The SANDS and FINE SANDSTONE are geological deposits that date from the end of the tertiary era. This type of soil enables roots and rootlets to grow deep into the ground and to draw water and mineral elements needed by the plant. Harmonious wines with great elegance and silky tannins are generally produced from this type of soil.

The LIMESTONE terroir, located west of the appellation, dates from the Cretaceous era, 110 to 115 million years ago. Erosion cleared the quaternary terrace made of river rocks, as well as the sands of the tertiary era. Subsoils of this limestone terroir are composed of fine materials made of sands and clays. The wines here are characterized by a fairly tight tannic structure with a certain tension, together with a good acidity.

Our will was to remain true to these varied plots when we created our different cuvees

VINIFICATION

White wines represent around 5% of the total production. Grapes are hand harvested, placed into boxes and undergo a light pneumatic pressing. The juices obtained are then protected from the oxidation phenomena in order to preserve the aromatic potential. Our “Vins de France” will then ferment in stainless steel vats, whereas our Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc will ferment in 25 hl wooden tanks. The fermentation temperature is regulated around 16 ° C.

Vinification of red wine is characterized, for our entire wine range, by a long period of maceration of the grapes in vats, associated with a relatively gentle extraction. Destemming – the removal of the vegetal part of the bunch- is required here in order to prevent any problem during maceration.

Vin de France and Côtes du Rhône: Maceration of 15 to 20 days

Lirac and Châteauneuf-du-Pape: 1-month maceration

For our red wines and when the vintage allows it, we want to keep the best balance between structure (tannins), natural freshness (acidity) and volume on the palate. Tasting during vinification leads us in the work we do on each vat, like pumping over and racking. We need to adapt to the typicity of the vintage in order to get the best from it.

AGEING

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Whites age until the month of April following the harvest. The wine remains for several months in a 25hl truncated wooden tank on whole lees. During this time the wine will stabilize as tartric precipitation will occur. It will also evolve in taste and will gain volume due to regular stirring of lees.

Ageing in large oak tanks -foudres in French- willl allow a moderate oxygenation of the wine, will bring slight aromas and will add a longer finish on the palate.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds age for 18 months. The first six months are spent in concrete or stainless-steel vats in order to remove the roughest lees with the help of the first cold of winter. After this period, our different cuvees are blended and put into wooden containers of different dimensions, 40hl for the largest ones (foudres), 25hl for the truncated tanks, and 600 litres for the double hogsheads (demi-muids).

Wines obtained vary from one container to another. Our cuvees are blended again after the 12 months period spent in wood in order to achieve only one bottling per cuvee.

BOTTLING

After aging comes the wine conditioning period. We try and do our best to prepare the wines for this important step. According to tasting, we decide whether the wines need to be protected from any supply of oxygen during transfers and pumping over, or on the contrary, whether a limited dose of oxygen will be needed to add wine potential in the bottle. Depending on the elements above, nitrogen inerting is sometimes requested, not only to limit oxygenation, but also to adjust parameters such as dissolved carbon dioxide.

We try and do our best to keep short conditioning rates so as to respect the wines during filling. A drop of nitrogen expels the oxygen present in the bottles, and limits oxidative phenomena.

As for the choice of plug, cork is still used. It remains, in our eyes, the most interesting way for capping red wines with ageing potential. The best side of the cork, called “mirroir” in French (side of cork in contact with the wine), is detected before vacuum capping. The bottle is kept in a vertical position for several minutes for a perfect plugging of the cork and to ensure good capping over time. The bottles are then stored horizontally in the dark.