Roger Sabon Chateauneuf-du-Pape Prestige 2019 750 ML

One of the top vintages for this cuvee, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Prestige features intense aromas of black cherries and purple raspberries, without the dark chocolate nuances that appear in the other 2019s at this address. It’s full-bodied, dense and concentrated, big but also silky and fine, with a long, elegant finish. It’s a Grenache-led assemblage of lots from the lieux-dits of les Brusquieres and Cabrieres. Technical director Didier Negron is refreshingly candid when speaking about his vintages at Domaine Roger Sabon, and on this occasion, we traveled back in time as far as his first vintage with the estate, which was 2001, which he referred to as being very homogenous. At age 20, those wines are fully mature, and there’s nothing further to be gained from additional cellaring. The 2011 Prestige, from a vintage Negron called early-drinking, should also be consumed in the near term, but the standout 2011 Secret should easily see out this decade. Turning to recent vintages, Negron is clearly a fan of the 2019s. “It’s easy to make a great wine in 2019,” he said. “But I hope people put [them] in the cellar and wait. Like 2016, it’s necessary to wait a little bit.” The 2020s, according to Negron, “have a little less concentration and alcohol, but the balance and the freshness is interesting.