Producer Profile: Domaine de La Janasse

Domaine de la Janasse is located in Courthézon, just north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Aimé Sabon took over vineyards belonging to his father and grandfather in 1967 upon completing his military service. Sabon founded Domaine de La Janasse in 1973 and ran the estate until 1991, when his son Christophe, a graduate of the oenological school in Beaune, took over. Christophe Sabon and his sister, Isabelle, manage the domaine today.

Over the years, La Janasse has grown from 15 hectares of vineyards in 1967 to 90 in 2014, all in and around Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Christophe Sabon told me he doesn’t plan on expanding to other appellations, as he thinks that he still has much to discover in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and in the surrounding vineyards.

Under Christophe Sabon’s supervision, La Janasse has established three different bottlings of red Châteauneuf-du-Pape; the Tradition, the Chaupin, and the Vieilles Vignes. Before this change, La Janasse made only one Châteaneuf; the Cuvée Réservée. La Janasse also produces a tiny amount of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, along with an assortment of Côtes-du-Rhône reds and whites that are terrific values and make a good introduction to the estate’s winemaking style.

Stylistically, the Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Papes are some of the most powerful and intense wines of the appellation. At their best, the wines the deliver the full-on aromatics of ripe Grenache picked on the later side. Sabon often achieves great balance in his wines. Neither overripe nor alcoholic notes are to be found; to the contrary, the Janasse Châteauneufs have a seductive and almost feminine tone. Combining power, intensity, and sensuality, the wines of La Janasse rank among the very best of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The Wines