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Domain: Domaine de la Janasse

Domaine de la Janasse, run by the Sabon family, has become one of the top domains in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, all while offering a wide and varied range of wines.

In 1967, Aimé Sabon took over the vineyards his family had acquired in the 19th century. In 1973, he stopped supplying grapes to trade and the local co-operative, built his own winery, and created Domaine de La Janasse, named after the family farm in Courthézon in the lieu-dit of ""La Janasse"". All aspects of the business, from vineyard to sales, are still handled by the family. Aimé's eldest son, Christophe Sabon, joined his father in 1991 and is now in charge of the property's 55 hectares of vines which are grown on around 60 plots scattered across the Châteauneuf du Pape, Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Village designations. The domain also produces wine under the Vin de Pays de la Principauté d'Orange and Vin de table appellations. The vines are tended meticulously and in harmony with the characteristics of each terroir and parcel. In line with the principles of sustainable farming, herbicides and chemical products are kept to an absolute minimum. The grapes are harvested by hand and sorted twice. After vinification, the wines are matured,depending on the grape variety, in foudres or barriques and the percentage of new wood is kept low. Depending on the wine, élevage lasts for between 12 and 18 months. There is no filtering stage and the wines are bottled after gentle fining. Today, the wines enjoy a solid reputation, with the mosaic of terroirs they come from adding a rare complexity.