Domaine de la Janasse

More than 40 years after Aimé Sabon established Janasse at Courthezon, this iconoclastic young Turk of yesteryear is now established as one of the southern Rhône'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 Châteauneuf-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 Côtes du Rhône and a pair of fascinating IGP wines. The Viognier exhibits a fat, juicy style with lots of texture, while the Principauté d'Orange red owes its fruitcake character and distinctive tannins to the inclusion of Merlot planted just outside the Châteauneuf-du-Pape boundaries.