La Roubine

Photography and writing by Ted Vance.

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A former Parisian fireman, and now the mayor of Gigondas (no joke!), Eric Ughetto took over the family’s vineyards in the early 1990s.  Later, his wife, Sophie, joined him and they made their first estate wine with the 2000 harvest.  A small estate with only 15 hectares (a little over 35 acres), it is operated almost entirely by this husband and wife team. They do the vineyard work together, but have clear lines elsewhere: Eric makes the wine and Sophie runs the commercial aspects. Simon, their young son, is already being groomed to start the process of taking the reigns from his pioneering parents.

It’s no surprise here, just like in any serious estate, that Eric and Sophie stress the importance of their vineyards over all else. The domaine is consciously run without pesticides, chemical fertilizers or herbicides. Since their beginning they have utilized organic methods and are now certified.

The Southern Rhône region is one of France’s most warm Mediterranean climates, and home to the infamous wine region, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. While Châteauneuf garners attention for their powerful and expressive wines led by the noble Grenache grape, there are other villages that are often times more charming and far less commercial, such as Domaine La Roubine’s home towns, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Seguret and Sablet.  These three appellations, on the north side of the famous limestone cliffs, the “Dentelles de Montmirail,” are known for powerful and friendly wines of structure with high-toned, regional wild herbs of Provence aromas, referred to as “garrigue.” The soils of these three areas have a complex geological history with interesting microclimates that are often not well understood. Most of these wines are drunk in their youth, but extended time aging in the cellar is what gives true definition and magic to the wines of the Southern Rhône.

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La Roubine - 2021 Côtes du Rhône, ‘Sablet’

Price: $25.00
Size: 750ml
Availability: 

24+ in stock

Type of Wine: Red
Style: Rustic, Medium Body

Inside the bottle: The Sablet is an extraordinarily powerful and rustic red. Usually when people say rustic, I feel that it implies that it’s a little “funky”, if you know what I mean. This is not the case here with this absolutely pure and focused wine. The fruit falls back to a tertiary role behind the earth and floral aromas. This blend of grapes, dominated by Grenache, comes out of the glass with power that is perfumed with lavender, thyme, spice and meat. Yes, meat, dried meat, like jerky or French saucisson, as well as grilled beef. If this sounds like a bull in a glass, it is.

The aroma springs out of the glass with black pepper, tapenade, licorice and herbs of Provence. The fruit aromas of the wine hit high red notes along with the obvious darker impressions of fruit, like black mission figs. On the palate, the wine carries a massive structure that calms down with a little air. Good luck on keeping your hands off of this when you open it.

Terroir: As the name suggests, this vineyard is dominated by sand but also has a good dose of sandstone, quartz and limestone. Because it’s on a north facing terraced hillside of the Dentelles de Montmirail, the wine remains aromatic and fresh. The neighboring vineyards of Roubine in Vacqueras and Gigondas have a lot of clay, which adds roundness and full fruit flavors, while the sands of Sablet bring more structural elements, exemplifying the tannin and acidic structure with less juiciness. This wine is both a “vin de terroir” and a “vin de garde.” It is a supremely serious wine for its mere Cotes du Rhone appellation status.

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The Wine

Inside the bottle: The Sablet is an extraordinarily powerful and rustic red. Usually when people say rustic, I feel that it implies that it’s a little “funky”, if you know what I mean. This is not the case here with this absolutely pure and focused wine. The fruit falls back to a tertiary role behind the earth and floral aromas. This blend of grapes, dominated by Grenache, comes out of the glass with power that is perfumed with lavender, thyme, spice and meat. Yes, meat, dried meat, like jerky or French saucisson, as well as grilled beef. If this sounds like a bull in a glass, it is.

The aroma springs out of the glass with black pepper, tapenade, licorice and herbs of Provence. The fruit aromas of the wine hit high red notes along with the obvious darker impressions of fruit, like black mission figs. On the palate, the wine carries a massive structure that calms down with a little air. Good luck on keeping your hands off of this when you open it.

Terroir: As the name suggests, this vineyard is dominated by sand but also has a good dose of sandstone, quartz and limestone. Because it’s on a north facing terraced hillside of the Dentelles de Montmirail, the wine remains aromatic and fresh. The neighboring vineyards of Roubine in Vacqueras and Gigondas have a lot of clay, which adds roundness and full fruit flavors, while the sands of Sablet bring more structural elements, exemplifying the tannin and acidic structure with less juiciness. This wine is both a “vin de terroir” and a “vin de garde.” It is a supremely serious wine for its mere Cotes du Rhone appellation status.

About The Wine

Inside the bottle: The Sablet is an extraordinarily powerful and rustic red. Usually when people say rustic, I feel that it implies that it’s a little “funky”, if you know what I mean. This is not the case here with this absolutely pure and focused wine. The fruit falls back to a tertiary role behind the earth and floral aromas. This blend of grapes, dominated by Grenache, comes out of the glass with power that is perfumed with lavender, thyme, spice and meat. Yes, meat, dried meat, like jerky or French saucisson, as well as grilled beef. If this sounds like a bull in a glass, it is.

The aroma springs out of the glass with black pepper, tapenade, licorice and herbs of Provence. The fruit aromas of the wine hit high red notes along with the obvious darker impressions of fruit, like black mission figs. On the palate, the wine carries a massive structure that calms down with a little air. Good luck on keeping your hands off of this when you open it.

Terroir: As the name suggests, this vineyard is dominated by sand but also has a good dose of sandstone, quartz and limestone. Because it’s on a north facing terraced hillside of the Dentelles de Montmirail, the wine remains aromatic and fresh. The neighboring vineyards of Roubine in Vacqueras and Gigondas have a lot of clay, which adds roundness and full fruit flavors, while the sands of Sablet bring more structural elements, exemplifying the tannin and acidic structure with less juiciness. This wine is both a “vin de terroir” and a “vin de garde.” It is a supremely serious wine for its mere Cotes du Rhone appellation status.

Other La Roubine Wines

More: Rustic, Medium Body Red wines similar to this one.