WTN: Some White Rhones...(long/boring)

We tried last week some WhiteRhones w/ my BBB group:
1. EdmundsSt.John Roussanne TablasCreekVvyd/Paso Robles 2004: Med.dark gold color; bit smokey/waxey some figgy/
honeysuckle/Rouss quite fragrant complex lovely nose; fairly tart figgy/waxy strong honeysuckle/Rouss bit
smokey/pungent light mineral perfumed complex flavor w/ very long/lingering finish; a beautiful/youthful that's
starting to show some secondary characteristics and no signs of the nutty character of oxidation; a beautiful
Roussanne in a very good place right now.
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2. DeLille Doyenne Roussanne Red Mountain/WA (WineMakersReserve, 14.1%) 2011: Light gold color; rather stony/chalky/
earthy light floral/honeysuckle/Rouss bit simple nose; quite tart stony/chalky/earthy/mineral light Rouss/
honeysuckle flavor w/ med.long earthy/stony finish; seems to be a tightly wound Rouss that needs some age.
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3. Jaffurs Viognier SBC 2011: Med.light gold color; strong Viog/pear/peach very perfumed slight waxy/chalky beautiful
aromatic nose; slightly tart spicy/nutmeg strong floral/peachy/pear/Viog slight chalky/waxy flavor w/ a very
long/lingering finish; wonderful aromatics w/o straying into DollyParton territory.
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4. Darby Le Deuce Stonetree/StillwaterCreek vnyds/Wahluke Slope/WashState (52% Viognier/48% Roussanne) 2012: Light
gold color; light toasty/oak light Viog/pear bit earthy somewhat clunky/ripe rather attractive nose; bit tart/lean
some oak/pencilly/toasty light pear/Viog attractive flavor w/ long tart/lean finish; quite attractive but seems
a bit disjointed & need of age.
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5. Chave Celeste AC: StJosephBlanc (90% Roussanne) 2010: Med.gold color; rather appley/Marsanne bit earthy/stony
slight waxy/figgy/floral/honey/Rouss quite attractive nose; fairly tart earthy/stony/granitic rather appley/
Marsanne slight floral/honeysuckle/Rouss/figgy/waxy flavor w/ quite long finish; rather lean/austere and needs
age; not the strong aromatics of most Calif Rouss.
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6. Guigal Lieu Dit AC: StJosephBlanc (90% Marsanne/10% Roussanne) 2010: Light gold color; rather earthy/chalky/
stony quite fragrant/honeysuckle/perfumed/pear lovely aromatic nose; beautiful waxy/figgy very floral/perfumed/
honeysuckle/honeyed/pear blossom some appley/Marsanne/waxy some chalky/earthy/mineral rather Rhonish flavor
w/ very long/lingering fragrant/floral somewhat stony finish; lovely aromatics w/ the stoniness you get in
Rhone whites; a perfumey character you seldom get in Calif Marsanne. $60.00
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7. Chapoutier Chante Alouette AC: HermitageBlanc (Marsanne; 14%) 2011: Med.gold color; rather chalky/smokey/figgy/
waxy very perfumed/fragrant honeyed/honeysuckle/floral/Rouss-like light pencilly/oak complex quite aromatic
nose; very intense waxy/figgy/floral/honeysuckle/Rouss-like fairly tart light stony/mineral slight herbal very
complex quite Rhonish flavor w/ a long/lingering finish that goes on & on; wonderful/powerful aromatics almost
like a Condrieu yet w/ a structure & balance and not at all over the top; fairly priced at $70.00
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8. Patterson Roussanne LateHrvst ColumbiaVlly/WashState 2011: Med. gold color; very intense grapey/passito-like
floral/almost muscatty very ripe nose; fairly tart quite sweet intense grapey/passito/floral/muscatty flavor
w/ very long passito finish; no botrytis character nor identifiable Roussanne character; dead ringer for a great
Italian passito wine; an amazing dessert wine.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. This was a tasting SteveCostigan organized for our BBB group. A pretty amazing collection of Rhone Whites.
The WashState whites I liked quite a lot but they seemed a bit clumsey & clunky & coarse compared to the
Calif & Rhone versions. I guess what struck me most was the perfumey aromatics that were in the Rhone
Marsannes. In Calif, the Marsannes seem to be rather simple/appley in their youth and only become interesting
with some age when they develop that nutty/waxy/toasted hazelnuts/slightly oxidized/honeyed character.
Tom

Boy, aren't those white Rhone's (especially the upper end ones) difficult to catch in "their window" of best drinkability? In my limited experience I've found that drinking them very young (1-4 years old) is usually best unless you can age them for 15+, and then there's the pre-mox worry . . .

Boy, aren't those white Rhone's (especially the upper end ones) difficult to catch in "their window" of best drinkability? In my limited experience I've found that drinking them very young (1-4 years old) is usually best unless you can age them for 15+, and then there's the pre-mox worry . . .

Yup, Gary....I find the white Rhones very difficult to predict on their ageability. Not all of them are particularly glorious
when they're young. But most of them are when they get some age on them. I've not found pre-mox to be a particular problem w/
white Rhones, though. Fact..can't recall any I thought were pre-moxed.
Tom

nice to see the Chante Alouette preforming well..This wine was my introduction to white Hermitage a zillion years ago at one of the Spooktator's NYC's tastings at the Marriott. probably in mid 1980's....A lovely young lady at Chapoutier's booth looked my way and told me that I just had to taste this wine..so I did ...and loved it..

....A lovely young lady at Chapoutier's booth looked my way and told me that I just had to taste this wine..so I did ...and loved it..

Nothing like an attractive young woman to get wine noticed!

guilty as charged..got introduced to Catena Malbecs the same way a few years later