Domaine de la Janasse

More than 40 years after Aime Sabon established Janasse at Courthezon, this iconoclastic young Turk of yesteryear is now established as one of the southern Rhone’s finest wine estates, spanning more than 90 hectares of vineyards.

Now under the control of Christophe Sabon and his sister Isabelle, Janasse’s much-lauded Chateauneuf-du-Papes are a quintessentially modern interpretation of the vineyards’ superlative raw material: deep colour, excellent fruit, supple tannins and extraordinary richness.

But that shouldn’t detract attention from the broader Janasse portfolio, including red and white Cotes du Rhone and a pair of fascinating IGP wines. The Viognier exhibits a fat, juicy style with lots of texture, while the Principaute d’Orange red owes its fruitcake character and distinctive tannins to the inclusion of Merlot planted just outside the Chateauneuf-du-Pape boundaries.