Wine Advocate October, 2011 I was surprised by the softness and silkiness of the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Secret des Sabon. Largely a field blend estimated to be about 90% Grenache and 10% unidentifiable varieties, it is the most accessible Secret des Sabon made to date. Its opaque purple color is followed by hints of coffee beans, new saddle leather and vanillin (the wine was aged in 1-2 year old 600-liter demi-muids), broad, powerful, concentrated flavors and tannins in the finish. Although it is not currently strutting its stuff as impressively as the Prestige, it should come close to equaling that wine in another 3-4 years, although it is drinkable already. This beauty of full-bodied power and great Provencal complexity should last for two decades.