2010 Domaine Roger Sabon Chateauneuf du Pape les Olivets

(90-92 Points) The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Olivets reveals a dense purple color, crisp acids, greater delineation and freshness than the heavier 2009, and plenty of full-bodied cherry fruit intermixed with garrigue and loamy soil notes.

This estate has been at the top of its game for many years and any partisan of Rhone Valley wines (especially the southern Rhone) who has not yet tried a wine from Domaine Roger Sabon should make every effort to do so. They produce four separate Chateauneuf du Pape cuvees and have hit home runs in both 2009 and 2010, the finest back-to-back vintages I have ever tasted from this 42-acre estate run by the large Sabon family, in this case, Jean-Jacques, Julien, Gilbert and Denis. They own 15 parcels spread throughout the appellation, most of them concentrated in the western and eastern sectors north of the village. The brilliant 2009s are among the finest of the vintage. Wine Advocate #197, Oct 2011