ROGER SABON 2022 CHATEAUNEUF LE SECRET DES SABON

WINE ADVOCATE 97-99 POINTS -"Given this estate's track record, I wouldn't be surprised to see the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape le Secret de Sabon flirt with perfection once it's bottled. For now, it delivers masses of cherries and raspberries on the nose, followed by a full-bodied wine that's somehow simultaneously light and airy, with a never-ending, supremely elegant finish. Fab stuff. It's always a pleasure to taste with Didier Negron, who willingly shares his impressions of recent vintages in his very good, accented English. He likened 2021 to vintages of the 1980s, citing lower alcohols (14.5% versus 15.5%) and lower pHs (3.7 versus 3.8 or 3.9). According to Negron, the wines are less concentrated and less powerful, but the sanitary condition of the grapes was good. "It was important to look at the balance, not just the alcohol level, and to make a good picking decision." In 2022, Negron explained that there is no Renaissance Blanc, as the vineyard was hit by hail. The few grapes that were harvested went into the red wines. At the time of my visit last summer, the Olivets and Réserve had recently been sulfured so were unavailable for tasting from cask, but I was able to taste the Prestige and Secret components. Fans of the estate won't want to miss those."