Piaugier Sablet Madness

Mornin' Wine Lovers,

2014 Domaine Piaugier Sablet Côtes du Rhône Villages

You might be familiar with this one.

I’ve now offered it 3 years straight.

In fact, February of last year I offered the 2014. This exact wine. This exact vintage.

First, I have to ask:

Does anyone still have a bottle from the original offer?

I don’t.

That wine evaporated like no other.

I usually refrain from offering the same juice twice.  

But when I heard that Mark was going to be getting a final drop of the 2014, two years after the original release.

Well that’s a horse of a different color.

This is a parcel that has rested in the Piaugier cellar since bottling. 

And the wine is absolutely singing right now.

To refresh your memory:

This wine is made by the lovely Sophie Autran high up in the Dentelles de Montmirail where she farms some utterly prime parcels of Grenache and Syrah.

2014 is perhaps the finest vintage she has ever made.

I recall tasting with Sophie in 2015 and telling her how much I loved the 2013 Sablet Rouge.

And she says, “Just wait, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

I always thought this might have been a subtle reference to the 2014 vintage that she had in her back pocket.

Now I know.

Quite frankly: I haven’t found anything else on this level at this price range. 

-All grapes are harvested by hand.

-Practicing organic farming.

-2600 cases made.

This is how red wine should be made. 

Have a great weekend.

Codey Foster CS, Wine Director

My Notes Read: Two years out, Domaine Piaugier Sablet Rouge has only gained momentum. This wine is absolutely singin’ right now.  This GS blend shows off an unlikely combination of both rusticity and prettiness. Red and black fruits harmonize amongst a dry dusty earthiness with magnificent Syrah qualities poking though the Grenache's pure muscular grip. Freshly cracked black pepper, black tea, smoked herbs, and ash all make appearances beneath a fruit profile that is both concentrated and lively. A quintessential red of the Southern Rhone. This is basically baby chateauneuf in the bottle. Enjoy over the next 5-8 years. 14.5%