2018 Domaine de Piaugier Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Sablet 750 ml

The town of Sablet is not (yet) famous, but based on Domaine Piaugier’s top red, it should be on any wine-lover’s radar. This little-known hamlet, just a stone’s throw from Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s hallowed terroir, puts out dynamite wines that deliver the kind of value that will have your guests thinking you shelled out the big bucks when this under-$20 red lands on the table. 

This ruby wine hits a spellbinding sweet spot, combining the ripe warm fruit tones of our favorite New World regions mixed with that irresistible Old World je ne sais quoi. Bright ruby in the glass, Piaugier’s alluring concoction of smoky cured meats, wild strawberry and currant confit, pine, and cracked pepper capture the nuances of iconic Rhône terroir at a case-buy price. 

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate offered rare praise for this standout, using vocabulary that would normally accompany a $60 Châteauneuf-du-Pape: “silky and elegant without lacking for depth or persistence. Really nicely done.”  

It’s no surprise: While Sablet may not have the name recognition it deserves in the United States, this French village is an exceptional site from the appellation Master of Wine Jancis Robinson calls “France’s best-value.” Named for the sandy soils that give this wine its heady aromas of rosemary and hawthorne, Sablet is one of just 22 villages eligible for the “Côtes-du-Rhône Villages” classification—a pit-stop for top terroirs on their way to luxe a AOC status like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, and Vacqueyras.

For now, and for Sablet, the label denotes single-village complexity at half the price… to savvy buyers. Part of the reason for this success is undoubtedly Piaugier’s vineyards—some of the finest in Sablet. The town is named after the sandy soils in the vineyards of the area and those sands translate into wines with expressive aromatics and lively textures (just like they do in the area of Châteauneuf-du-Pape around Château Rayas).

If they were in a ritzier neighborhood, there’s no doubt that Piaugier would be a legend already, but Sablet remains just far enough away from Châteauneuf-du-Pape that it’s still possible to find real hidden gems.

In the glass, the 2018 Domaine de Piaugier Côtes de Rhône-Villages Sablet Rouge is a throwback to everything that made us fall hard for Châteauneuf-du-Pape ages ago, and keeps us coming back to the Rhône Valley every year… and several nights a week.