Domaine Courbis : La Sabarotte 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for La Sabarotte 2023 from Domaine Courbis

Tasting Notes

Appearance
This wine reveals a very deep, dark garnet colour.

Nose
The bouquet opens with seductive roasted notes, before revealing indulgent aromas of fig and cocoa, underlined by elegant oak.

Palate
The palate is smooth and remarkably powerful. The whole offers a remarkable length, supported by silky tannins and beautiful freshness.

Food and Wine Pairing
The estate recommends enjoying this wine with duck skewers in satay sauce, veal kidneys or a potato galette. More generally, its power and structure will pair wonderfully with grilled red meats, rich sauced dishes or delicately spiced meats.

Serving and Cellaring
To fully appreciate La Sabarotte 2023, serving at a temperature of 17°C is recommended. With strong ageing potential, this wine for laying down can be kept in the cellar and enjoyed until around 2043.

The Expression of a Great Cornas Terroir by Domaine Courbis

The Estate
Located in Châteaubourg in the northern Rhône Valley, Domaine Courbis traces its family origins back to the 16th century. However, its establishment as an exclusively wine-growing estate dates back to the mid-20th century, driven by Maurice Courbis. Today, Laurent and Dominique Courbis run this property of over forty hectares. Proud of its independence, the estate crafts its wines solely from its own vineyards. The estate is renowned for its manual work on steep hillsides, producing wines of great finesse that reflect the identity of their exceptional terroirs.

The Vineyard
The plot dedicated to this cuvée covers 1.2 hectares within the Cornas appellation. This exceptional terroir is characterised by a very poor, highly draining granitic sand soil, where the bedrock is exposed at the surface. The vines, old vines planted in 1947, thrive on a hillside ideally exposed to the south-east. This favourable microclimate and demanding conditions naturally limit yields to 26 hl/ha, promoting optimal concentration in the grapes.

Winemaking and Ageing
The result of a rigorous plot-by-plot selection, the harvest for La Sabarotte 2023 is entirely manual. The berries are destemmed and crushed before undergoing a maceration period of three weeks to a month in closed, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at 25°C. Extraction is carried out gently through regular pump-overs. Designed for cellaring, the wine is then aged for 18 months in oak barrels, split equally between new barrels and one- to two-wine barrels, with one to two rackings during this period.

Grape Variety
This wine is made from 100% Syrah.