Lirac’s near-ubiquity within the vineyard holdings of famed Châteauneufdu-Pape producers and its relatively more ethereal and delicate expression means that it often remains in the shadows. This is a shame since growers like Roger Sabon make such a fine and subtle rendition in this appellation that we’d be tempted to keep it all for ourselves – except for the fact that they own 12 hectares of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carignan planted on gravelly clay-limestone soils quite similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Rather than make a blockbuster wine from this material, they let Lirac be Lirac in all its delicate and floral aromatics and earthy fruit flavors.