Château de Sabazan is one of the standout names from south-west France, located the backwoods of Gascony, in the newly created Saint-Mont appellation.
Their 2019 is not an expensive wine, yet it has remarkable ageing potential. From an exceptional vintage, it is a beautifully polished and full-bodied red. If you love Madiran, you will adore its similarities, but being on sandy soils, the wine is a touch lighter and fruitier. The grape mix is much the same, with tannat dominating and there is a little cabernet and pinenc, better known as fer servadou.
Order by midday on Monday 9th September
It is remarkable to think that this great wine did not exist 50 years ago. The story of so many vineyards of France’s south-west is one of abandonment after a calamitous series of disasters that included disease and war. The old-timers remembered, and many still cherished venerable bottles that had been tucked away in dusty cellars. And not all vines disappeared; those around Sabazan are planted on sandy soils and are immune from the phylloxera disease that swept through the region.
The Plaimont group of co-operatives was crucial in the rebirth of Sabazan, helping to restore the 13th-century manor house and replanting the vineyard. The first vintage was 1987, which immediately made a positive impression. Nearly 40 years on, the vines have reached maturity and the wines all the better, especially in this vintage which has produced so many great wines.
