Rousanne

Le Vieux Pin Viognier-Roussanne 2009

June 18, 2011 By Shea Leave a Comment

My recent trip to the Okanagan has inspired me to give a few more B.C. bottles a fair shake. This white blend from Le Vieux Pin, made from Rhone Valley varieties and part of their new Rhone ranger influenced program, is the best example of these grapes that I have tasted from B.C.

I appreciate how Le Vieux Pin prints considerable detail on their label, including soil type, tons per acre, suggested ageing, and even sub-regions. So far there are no legally established sub-appellations in the Okanagan Valley and so it is basically impossible to know where the fruit used in a particular wine has come from if the winery does not disclose that information. Very few wineries are even using all estate fruit or all fruit grown in the sub-region in which the winery is located.

While Le Vieux Pin does use fruit from around the valley, I applaud their transparency in labeling exactly where it came from. In this case, that means the Black Sage Bench, an area with more moderate sunlight than its neighbour the Golden Mile. The soils here are sandy, like the majority of soils in the Okanagan, and as such drain pretty quickly. This means irrigation is needed in most places, and the wines tend to be pretty fruity.

This is, true to its place, a fruity wine. It captures the great aromatics of Viognier and the voluptuous texture of Roussanne and offers good depth and balance. The fruit here is much higher quality than normal for these varieties, probably because of the lower cropping, and I thought this was an excellent example and shows great potential for the future of the Rhone program at Le Vieux Pin.

Very Good
$35 at the Winery

Filed Under: $30-$40, BC Wine, Canadian Wine, Rousanne, Very Good, Viognier

Spotlight on Languedoc-Roussillon: La Peira Deusyls 2005

January 10, 2011 By Shea 2 Comments

In my last write up of La Peira I intimated that this winery was one of the stars of the Languedoc, but deferred my reasons for saying so. No longer. It is this wine, which is perhaps the best white I’ve had from the Languedoc and one of the most interesting I’ve had out of France, that convinced me of La Peira’s star status.

The Deusyls is made in a manner that sees some semi-oxidation that produces something unlike most anything else I’ve tasted. According to the winery, the oxidation occurs naturally in the fermentation process and is simply a by-product of grapes that easily oxidize (the wine is made from 65% Viognier and 35% Roussanne). However, it could also be due to the Sauternes-like fermentation methods used by La Peira wine maker Jeremie Depierre. The level of oxidation will vary from year to year and in some years may not be detectable. It will also likely vary with age. I simply do not have enough vintages to do a true comparison – but something fascinatingly compelling is going on here.

This is stunning wine. The nose has extremely intense aromas of honey and figs that suggest an intensity and richness almost as strong as Pedro Ximenez sherry. The palate, however, flips your expectations upside down being both extremely dry and semi-oxidized but also rich, structured and long. Honey and nuts predominate the palate, but there are also a bevy of indescribable flavours that make this extremely interesting. This is far more balanced than any other oxidized white I’ve tasted, including the wines of Jacques Puffeney from the Jura. Despite the level of intrigue, the wine is eminently quaffable and I highly recommend drinking it with Charcuterie.

A sine qua non wine for wine geeks and adventurous wine lovers. La Peira produced only about 80 cases of this wine. We are lucky to have a few in Vancouver.

Excellent to Excellent+
$50 at Marquis Wine Cellars

Filed Under: $40-$60, Excellent, French Wine, Languedoc-Roussillon, Rousanne, Viognier

Spotlight on Rhone Valley White Wine: Pax Venus 2007

September 14, 2010 By Shea 2 Comments

Leave it to the perfectionists to make the better examples of California Rhone Whites. Pax, a highly respected syrah producer from Northern California, was once headed by the famed wine maker Pax Mahl. Since 2007, Pax the man left Pax the winery to start his own project Wind Gap. Before this departure, however, Mr. Mahl managed to produce some of the most consistently great examples of Rhone style wines in the United States. Unfortunately, Mr. Mahl left before he could complete overseeing the 2007 vintage.

Soils, Site and Vinification

Demanding a cooler climate, the Roussanne that comprised 74% of this wine was grown in the Bennet Valley AVA in Southern Sonoma. Bennet Valley has similar soils to Sonoma Valley but is far cooler due to a “wind gap” close by that allows the marine breeze from the coast to penetrate the valley. The remaining 26% Viognier found its way from a few small vineyards in the Sonoma Coast AVA.

Lead winemaker Tyler Thomas, who blended but did not produce this vintage, blended the two grapes after they fermented separately in neutral French Oak and concrete eggs, which add roundness to the wine without the flavour influence of oak.

A Wine Taking the Middle Path

There is something about certain Rhone white varieties that, when grown poorly or in the wrong soils, epitomize cheap overly fruity white wine to me. Sometimes it can be very hard for Viognier to excel beyond its heady aromas of pear and flowers, which can often come across as overly candied or blowsy.

This wine has none of the flaws listed above, but it does have something peculiar in its flavour profile that, personally, turned me off somewhat from the wine. It failed to break the flavour mould to move from good to great. That said, this is an extremely well made wine.

The nose gave pear and honey and the Viognier characteristics dominated here. This is deeper and more fully articulated than the cheap over-cropped versions, but still lacks excitement. The wine is rich and honeyed but does not quite have the upfront delicious opulence of the Alban or the delicate and highly aromatic expression of the other Northern Rhone whites I profiled.

Instead, this wine sits somewhere in the middle and does not quite reach the heights of either. This is by no means a bad wine, but given Pax’s pedigree, I must admit my disappointment. With this being Mr. Thomas’ first vintage at Pax, perhaps we can expect a few hiccups and improvement to come. 270 cases.

Very Good
$55 at Dean & Deluca in St. Helena

Filed Under: $40-$60, Californian Wine, Rhone Valley White Wine, Rousanne, Very Good, Viognier

Spotlight on Rhone Valley White Wines: Domaine de la Charbonniere 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc

September 2, 2010 By Shea Leave a Comment

As mentioned in my last post, Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc gets little attention. Nevertheless, these are distinct wines with their own expression of some of the famous terroirs of Chateauneuf that are quite unlike the whites of the Northern Rhone.

Galet Vineyards

Charbonniere makes their four red Chateauneuf and one white cuvee from four main vineyards: les Brusquières, la Crau, Mourre des Perdrix, and around the estate Charbonniere. These vineyards are in the north or north east and thus have clay and limestone soils (one of four broad types within CdP). The vineyards also contain the famous galets or rounded stones that sit in the vineyard soaking up and storing heat.

A Classic Vinification

From 20 year old vines Charbonniere makes their white using a blend of 40% Grenache blanc, 40% Roussanne, 20% Clairette, with the Clairette being harvested after the other two. The wine is then destemmed, crushed and vinified in 25% new oak and 75% stainless steel, with no malo-lactic fermentation. As the wine ages it sees regular battonages (lees stirring), which works well in this wine as its acidity balances the richness.

The classic approach reflects in the flavour profile, with this wine delivering good rounded flavours and structure, but little out of the ordinary or exciting.

A Wine of Itself but Lacking Punch

The nose is softly spicy with lemon and minerals that remind me very much of Chardonnay. This is more expressive than the Boursan, and the palate has better structure and length, with Chardonnay-like flavours of lemon, cream and minerals. However, it is quite a bit less distinctive than the Boursan, though more accessible and more immediately delicious.

Again, this is a well made wine but nothing particularly stands out. Everything is in its place, though I suspect the balance of the wine could be improved.

Very Good+
$55 at Marquis Wine Cellars

So What’s the Deal with CdP Blanc?

While signs are that these wines will continue to improve, right now they can’t match the range, complexity and better value offered by the white wines of the Northern Rhone. Despite this, these wines still possess enough interest and terroir to make them worth experiencing and are an important stop on a wine geek’s journey.

The remainder of this focus on Rhone whites will look at how these varieties are being treated in the New World – some of what is going on is quite surprising.

Filed Under: $40-$60, Clairette, French Wine, Grenache Blanc, Rhone Valley White Wine, Rousanne, Very Good

Spotlight on Rhone Valley White Wine: Domaine Bois de Boursan Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 2007

August 29, 2010 By Shea Leave a Comment

Chateauneuf du Pape is, of course, famous for its red wines. In Vancouver particularly CdP is often the premium wine of choice for many novice buyers and moneyed collectors. Many wine geeks, however, have moved away from many Chateauneufs, which with ever better reviews from Robert Parker and ever increasing interest from the points crowd, have increased in price significantly. Despite this trend towards prestige pricing, the white wines of Chateauneuf still sit well under the radar of most collectors, and even many wine geeks.

Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc can be made from five different grapes – Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Picardan. Most predominantly use Grenache Blanc, though there are a few pure Roussannes that have gained a strong reputation (Beaucastel’s most notably). Bois de Boursan makes its white from a unique blend of 35% Clairette, 35% Grenache Blanc, 15% Roussanne and 15% Bourboulenc. Most of us, including myself, have never tasted pure Clairette or Bourboulenc so it is hard to tell exactly what these add to the flavours of the blend, but Jancis Robinson explains that the grapes are used in the southern Rhone to add aroma and acidity to a wine.

The wine is unique, presenting apple ginger spice cake on the subtle and not overly expressive nose. The wine tastes best at near room temperature, and along with the above flavours, has some dry minerality in the finish. Perhaps thiswas too young when I drank it, but I found it fairly closed, even as the mid-palate had serious structure. The medium acid held the wine together well enough so it didn’t become overly rich – but this is not a sprightly or crisp white. Bois de Boursan uses barriques from Alsace and Borgogne for its wines and the old wood influence works quite well. I expect the wine will open with age, but it is not nearly as immediately delicious as the Northern Rhone whites.

Very Good+
$60 at Marquis Wine Cellars

Filed Under: $40-$60, Bourboulenc, Clairette, French Wine, Grenache Blanc, Rhone Valley White Wine, Rousanne, Very Good

Spotlight on Rhone Valley White Wine: Domaine Auguste Clape St. Péray 2007

August 25, 2010 By Shea 2 Comments

From History to Obscurity

St. Péray may be the most obscure region in the entire Rhone valley. Once as famous as regions like Cornas and Condrieu, it has now dwindled to a near obscurity. Situated directly south of Cornas, St. Péray is the most southerly of all the Northern Rhone appellations, except for a small piece of the large Croze-Hermitage.

Napoleon Bonaparte once described the still wines of St. Péray as his first wine discovery – much like many wine lovers today have that moment that opens their eyes and palates to wine. But since the excitement of the 19th century for the wines of St. Péray wore off, the region has seen a continuing decline in interest. Today there are only a dozen growers and a handful of negociants, with half of the wine being made at the cooperative of Tain L’Hermitage. All the more rare it is, then, to find a wine from the caliber of a producer like Auguste Clape, who is probably the leading producer in Cornas. Accordingly, Clape’s St. Péray vineyards are just south of his Cornas vineyards and comprise a miniscule 0.23 hectares. As a result, Clape only makes 100 cases of this very rare dry white.

Youthful Terroir

Clape’s vineyards are sited on acidic soil, with quartz granite and patches of clay limestone on the lower slopes. The granite tends to produce wines that drink better young. The Marsanne, which comprises 99% of the wine (1% Roussanne), is picked mostly from 55-65 year old vines, with about 1/3 of the fruit from 15 year old vines.

There has also been a trend in St. Péray to increase the use of oak, which tends to cover over the more terroir driven aspects of the wine, which are quite delicate despite the commonly robust alcohol. Clape, on the other hand, ferments in concrete and stainless steel, and allows malo-lactic fermentation to complete naturally before bottling in April. This vinification methodology also reflects that the oaked whites need more time in bottle to come together. With Clape’s terroir favouring younger wines, it makes little sense to produce an oakier style of wine.

St. Péray – its Own Terroir

The pale colour of the wine belies its richness and its luminescent nose of pear, apple and a touch of honey nut. The palate presents tremendous minerality with deep orchard fruits. This has impeccable structure for a 14% ABV wine, and it holds the alcohol extremely well. The richness is outstanding given the complete lack of oak – and this is perhaps why the wine is so balanced. The finish is very persistent given the price point. Overall this is a distinctive terroir based wine that shows more minerals and spice versus the more honeyed and floral tones of its St. Joseph counterparts. The price I paid for the quality is astounding – it is worth four times as much.

Excellent
$17 at K&L Wine Merchants in SF.

Filed Under: $20 and under, Excellent, French Wine, Marsanne, Rhone Valley White Wine, Rousanne

Spotlight on Rhone Valley White Wine: Pierre Gonon ‘Les Oliviers’ St. Joseph Blanc 2005

August 23, 2010 By Shea Leave a Comment

A return to elegance and complexity as I return to this spotlight – lost amongst distractions and digressions. Run by two brothers in their 30’s, Domaine Gonon is one of those dwindling producers only making one red and one white wine. With the infection of the prestige cuvee both in the southern and the northern Rhone, it is rare and exceptional to find a producer with some incredible terroir who see simplicity as the way to the heart of good wine.

A Simple Take on Terroir

As wines made in the St. Joseph appellation, some might place the Gonons’ creations into the unfortunate realm occupied by the highly cropped and poorly made wines from the regions with little terroir. This would be a mistake. The Gonons’ father was one of the first to pursue white wine seriously in the modern generation, planting his Marsanne vines in 1958. This makes the vines some of the oldest in the Northern Rhone.

These days, the white Gonon is made with 80% Marsanne from these vines and 20% Roussanne from vines planted in 1974. The vines sit above Tournon, 200 metres above on the Coteau des Oliviers – a site renowned since before the creation of the St. Joseph appellation. As for soils, you will find stones and red clay with some sanded granite.

Farming and vinification practices are thoughtful and attentive at this estate. For instance, all the vineyard work is manual and they don’t use wire training for any vines. They also select cuttings from their own rootstock to avoid importing clones. In the cellar, they use all indigenous yeast and ferment in open wooden vats.

A Perfect Balance

The brothers report that their white wine can age up to 20 years in great vintages, a rarity for whites made from Marsanne and Roussanne. I tasted it at a mere 4 years of age, but it was showing perfectly. The nose was soft and clear with minerals and stone combined with citrus zest. This is basically textbook St. Joseph Blanc – it marries suppleness and elegance with intense flavour and tremendous versatility for a low-acid wine. I would pair this with a main course, but the pear, apple, honey, nuts and caramel flavours are also lush and wonderful by themselves. Full bodied, clean, but not overly sweet, the aromatics and texture are enticing beyond addiction. This is the complete package and you could not hope for better quality from a white at this price.

Excellent
$50 at Marquis

Filed Under: $40-$60, Excellent, French Wine, Marsanne, Rhone Valley White Wine, Rousanne

Spotlight on Rhone Valley White Wine: Domaine Courbis Saint-Joseph Blanc ‘Les Royes’ 2004

July 18, 2010 By Shea Leave a Comment

While Viognier is known for its aromatic complexity and its rich, opulent texture, as we move from Condrieu into St. Joseph, we also see a change in grapes from Viognier to Marsanne and Roussanne, known to be more elegant and restrained, often in need of a little age. We also see a move from a very small and closely demarcated wine growing zone to a very large and broad one, with multiple terroirs. St. Joseph has been so expanded over the years that it is difficult to predict the terroir and quality of a wine based simply on the appellation. Producer is what matters in St. Joseph, and if you want quality it is essential to properly research the producer whose wine you are buying.

White wine from St. Joseph is also very rare, comprising a mere 9% of the total production of the region. Marsanne, known for depth and richness, dominates the white blends in St. Joseph, but many wines also blend in Roussanne for acidity and aromatics. While there is debate over whether Marsanne and Roussanne grow best in granite (the undisputed choice for Syrah) or limestone soils, many important producers such as J.L. Chave, Domaine Coursodon and the producer of today’s wine Domaine Courbis, think that limestone produces the best white grapes.

This wine is grown in the famous Les Royes vineyard, one of the steepest in the Northern Rhone, which holds limestone and clay soils. It sits at between 200 and 270 metres above sea level and is well sheltered from the famous Mistral wind. The vines, comprising Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne, average around 35 years of age, but the oldest are, impressively, over 60 years old. Everything produced at Courbis is hand harvested and left on the vine as long as possible. Because Courbis is so skilled at this technique, this means the white wines have incredible balance and phenollic ripeness without going too far into the realm of opulence.

Unlike the classic white St. Joseph, the Les Royes white is made with pure Marsanne dating from 1975 and is completely fermented in new Allier oak, which in the case of this wine is a very good thing. The wine also sees batonnage (lees stirring) and full malo-lactic fermentation – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the most elegant St. Josephs available. Only the best casks are used and the total production is a tiny 3000 bottles or 250 cases.

The wine itself? Well, it offers a nose of apple, spice and rock and is very soft and clean – a general hallmark of this very elegant St. Joseph. The palate adds some interesting licorice and herbal/root characteristics along with apples. This has great flavour and structure and great elegance. It might lack a little in acidity, but this wine successfully combines power and elegance and a fantastic ability to pair with food. I had it with honey/tamari glazed Salmon and the pairing was extremely successful.

As rich, dense and opulent as the wines of Condrieu are, so far the wines of St. Joseph are discrete, powerful and yet very elegant.

Very Good+ to Excellent
$50 at Marquis Wine Cellars

Filed Under: $40-$60, French Wine, Marsanne, Rhone Valley White Wine, Rousanne, Very Good

Domaine Oratoire St. Martin Haut Coustias Blanc Cairanne 2005

September 12, 2008 By Shea Leave a Comment

I rarely get the chance to drink Rhone whites, which is a shame. I have yet to encounter an example that elevates Rhone white varietals to the same level as Chardonnay, Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc, but there is certainly potential.

This Marsanne and Rousanne blend was golden yellow in the glass and very pleasant to observe. It had a nice viscosity, and the palate offered boysenberry and herbs with a touch of oak on the back end. I also noted the smell of apple juice from concentrate, which could be good or bad depending on your perspective. In the end, the Oratoir was certainly a solid white and prompts me to spend a little more time exploring the lesser known side of the Rhone.

Very Good

$33 at Marquis

Filed Under: $30-$40, French Wine, Marsanne, Rousanne, Very Good