TN: 2003 Roger Sabon - Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Prestige

WINE TALK
1

2003 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Prestige - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/1/2017)
– decanted 30 minutes before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over a few hours –

NOSE: medium-strong aromas; definitely smells aged — baked dark fruits; mesquite; a touch earthy; not funky.

BODY: dark ruby color of medium-deep depth, with bricking throughout; sediment present; {forgot to note weight}.

TASTE: tertiary red/purple fruits; strong earthy element; leather; no brett; still some tannins sticking around; light garrigué; medium to medium+ acidity; 14.5% alc. is a little noticeable; this is very good, and is probably in the middle or back end of its prime drink window. My gut impression score of 90-91 was a touch low. Ashley’s gut impression score is 89.

50, 5, 12, 17, 8 = (92 pts.)

2

I’m glad someone had better luck with the 2003 So. Rhones. I bought some on release thinking they would be like 1990, but the ones I picked didn’t keep well. Maybe the luxe cuvees were better balanced?

At least the Northern end of the valley did awesome.

3

Arv,

More often than not, '03 CdPs do not prove themselves likable, for my preferences. This bottle, however, in stark contrast to a previous bottle of nine years ago (TN below), showed quite nicely:

2003 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Prestige - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (12/30/2007)
A Night of Chateauneuf in Edina, MN (Edina Country Club): I tasted this wine at a CdP offline on 12/30/2007, in Edina, MN. (All wines were tasting blind, in a random order. References such as “Blind 3” or “Blind 4” have been replaced with the wines’ actual names)

NOSE: bouquet on this is a vast departure from that of the 2003 Janasse Chaupin. This nose is much softer - kind of like smelling a chalky cottonball. Light nose - a touch perfumy.

BODY: light brown-red colored; medium-light bodied.

TASTE: much more acidic than the '03 Janasse Chaupin; earthy; kind of weak.

50, 5, 11, 14, 7 =(87 pts.)