Domaine de la Janasse estate spotlight
Christophe and Isabelle Sabon are on camera for Jysk Vin at Domaine de la Janasse, walking the vineyards and cellar behind this Vieilles Vignes, the flagship old-vine cuvee of the Sabon family.
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2021 Domaine de la Janasse Cuvee Vieilles Vignes Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France
Christophe and Isabelle Sabon's flagship old-vine Chateauneuf, four terroirs and a cooler 2021 spine, a bottle you can open at fifty-nine dollars.
The 2021 Vieilles Vignes is about 75 percent Grenache with Mourvedre, Syrah, and other permitted varieties from century-old parcels: black cherry, raspberry, garrigue, and white pepper on plush tannins, now $59.
Four terroirs, one unusually complete old-vine Chateauneuf
Vieilles Vignes is the estate flagship, not a broad village blend. Century-old Grenache from pebbles, sand, red clay, and limestone is why the 2021 can be rich without going heavy. Wine Advocate called it a strong effort in a cooler, smaller year: supple black cherry and black raspberry, concentrated, unheavy, long. Decanter and Vinous both landed at 95 on this exact vintage.
The house
Aime Sabon built the cellar in Courthezon in 1973. Christophe joined in 1991, Isabelle in 2001. More than sixty parcels stay separate until the blends are tasted into place.
The wine
About 75% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 5% Syrah, 5% other. Eighty percent destemmed, concrete ferment, twelve months in foudre and demi-muid. 15.0% ABV.
The scores
Wine Advocate 96. Decanter 95. Vinous 95. All on this exact 2021.
The drinker
Black cherry and garrigue first. Decant 60 to 90 minutes. Serve near 60 F. Garlic-rosemary lamb or a slow short-rib pot.
Black fruit and garrigue, carried by freshness rather than weight
Wine Advocate found supple black cherry and black raspberry on a rich, unheavy palate. Vinous added redcurrant, strawberry, tobacco, garrigue, and a pinch of white pepper over plush tannins. Decanter called it pure and velvety, with fine ripe tannins and vivid freshness.
A cool spring, brief heat, and summer rain made a late, smaller crop. Old vines kept ripeness while the year kept acidity. That is why the 2021 drinks as fruit and herb instead of sheer weight.
Black cherry, black raspberry, redcurrant, strawberry, garrigue, tobacco, white pepper.
Rich and concentrated without heaviness, velvety tannin, 15.0% ABV, enough acidity to keep every sip moving.
Long, juicy, savory. Serve near 60 F. Decant 60 to 90 minutes when opening young.
Parcel precision beneath the power
Janasse builds complexity before blending. Each lot is vinified and aged on its own so pebbles, sand, red clay, and limestone can still be tasted in one bottle.
The 2021 is about 75 percent Grenache, 15 percent Mourvedre, 5 percent Syrah, and 5 percent other permitted varieties. Up to 15 percent of the old Grenache vines are Clairette Rose, a fact Wine Advocate noted for this vintage.
Fruit is harvested by hand, about 80 percent destemmed, then macerated around 28 days with daily pigeage in concrete. Decanter's technical note has twelve months in foudre and demi-muid before the final assembly.
Serve near 60 F. Sixty to 90 minutes of air is for garrigue and the savory close, not a rescue.
From one family cellar to a sixty-parcel mosaic
Janasse grew in scale and kept the small-lot thinking that gives Vieilles Vignes its layered identity.
Domaine de la Janasse began in 1973, when Aime Sabon returned to family land and built a cellar in Courthezon. The estate grew from a handful of hectares across Chateauneuf-du-Pape and neighboring appellations.
Christophe Sabon joined in 1991, followed by his sister Isabelle in 2001. They kept their father's parcel-by-parcel discipline, farming more than sixty sites and holding each lot distinct until the blends take shape.
Vieilles Vignes is where that mosaic becomes one voice: century-old Grenache shaped by pebbles, sand, red clay, and limestone that sit only short distances apart.
Roast, braise, pour
Herbs, browned meat, and slow-cooked depth meet the wine's berry fruit, garrigue, and supple tannins without making the table complicated.
Two plates. One garlic-rosemary rack of lamb. One pot of red-wine short ribs. Both can take old-vine Grenache and garrigue.
Serve around 60 F. A 60 to 90 minute decant is a practical start. Up to two hours can help if the bottle still feels tightly coiled.
Garlic-Crusted Roast Rack of Lamb
Food & Wine's garlic-rosemary crust and a fast, hot roast keep the meat juicy while building the browned edges this wine loves.
Why it works: Rosemary echoes garrigue, garlic meets the savory notes, and lamb richness softens the Grenache-led tannins.
View Recipe for garlic-crusted roast rack of lamb (opens in a new tab)
Red Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs
Serious Eats layers seared beef, mirepoix, tomato, red wine, stock, and herbs into a slow braise with real depth.
Why it works: The sauce mirrors the wine's dark fruit and savory register, while fresh acidity keeps the braise from feeling heavy.
View Recipe for red wine-braised beef short ribs (opens in a new tab)Put this old-vine Janasse in the cart
Wine Advocate 96. Four terroirs. Fifty-nine dollars against a $150 typical retail.
Put it in the cart. This is the Sabon flagship for a table that wants century-old Chateauneuf with 2021's extra clarity.
