It's back, and Piaugier's Sablet is a fantastic taste of France's Southern Rhone Valley. What truly amazes me about this wine is its consistency. It's always delicious, regardless of vintage conditions, and the Autran family crafted a wonderful wine in the challenging 2021 vintage.
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. It's almost like a more elegant, and silky-styled Gigondas, making it a perfect red to serve with turkey, ham, and all of those savory sides.
2021 Domaine de Piaugier Sablet Rouge
Drinks like an elegant Gigondas at half the 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 promise you this will pair well with Thanksgiving dinner.
