It's back, and Piaugier's Sablet is a fantastic taste of France's Southern Rhone Valley. Despite the challenges that Mother Nature threw at producers, the Autran family prevailed, and their 2021 Sablet is a highly successful wine.
I have said it many times, and I’ll say it again, this is consistently one of top Southern Rhone red wine values we can get our hands on each vintage. Myself and my team are so glad to have this one back in stock, and we've got 14 cases up for grabs at deep deal pricing. Get some before it's gone!
2021 Domaine de Piaugier Sablet Rouge
Another highly successful wine, despite challenging conditions!
Buy a Solid Six-Pack or More: $16.99/bottle -- Over 20% off.
Anything Less: $18.99/bottle ($21.99 regular price)
The village of Sablet, just north of Gigondas, is know for its sandy soils. In fact, “sable” translates to “sand” in French. It is these sandy soils that make Piaugier’s Sablet Rouge so uniquely delicious. Dirt isn’t the most exciting thing to talk about, but it plays a huge role in how a wine feels and tastes. It’s a known fact amongst “cork dorks” like myself that well-drained, sandy soils are notorious for producing vibrant, elegant, and highly aromatic Grenache-based wines.
In the words of Robert Parker, “This small estate, managed with intelligence and talent by Jean-Marc Autran, deserves praise for its Côtes du Rhônes.” Yes they do and thanks for noticing Bob! Jean-Marc and his wife Sophie farm their 12.5 hectares in Sablet without the use of chemical fertilizers or sprays, they harvest and sort by hand, they ferment in cement tanks with native yeasts, and they bottle with minimal fining, filtration, or sulfur additions.
This traditional, meticulous and “slow” way of crafting their wines is counter to the many highly processed wines that line the shelves at grocery stores. And that’s why this tastes better! But surprisingly, it doesn’t cost more. Nope, this blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, all from 30-50+ year old vines, is soulful and full of character, much like your favorite wine monger.
Yields were way down in 2021 due to widespread frosts, and production was as low as producers have seen in a decade! It's a reminder that wine is an agricultural product subject to the whims of Mother Nature and climate change. Luckily, smaller family-run estates like Piaugier made the hard sacrifices needed to maintain quality. I'll guarantee you the bigger, more commercial producers did not do the same...
Just a touch more medium-bodied than previous vintages, I love the combination of brambly red and dark berries, peppery spice, and herbaceous rusticity that flow through this classic Southern Rhone red. Fresh and elegant, yet rich and highly enjoyable, I will be drinking a lot of this with grilled "stuff" over the coming months, and I advise you to follow suit.
