2007 St Joseph Blanc, Domaine Pierre Gaillard

Favourite Rhône - White
100% Roussanne, this delicious and well priced example from Pierre Gaillard excelled. It showed the variety’s characteristically gorgeous colour, floral and pear-skin notes, becoming more honeyed as the palate developed. This will be at its best soon after shipment to 2011 – a wine for sooner than later, which is no bad thing.
(Tom Cave, BBR Cellar Plan Manager)

In a region where Marsanne usually dominates the whites, Pierre makes a fabulous cuvée that is made form 100% Roussanne…. barrel fermented Roussanne to boot. From the imperious vineyards high above the Rhône in the village of Malleval, the grapes are given the expensive treatment, aged as they are in barrel post fermentation, with the lees stirring every week for six months. The result is beautifully aromatic, beeswax, quince, fig and pineapple and, as one would expect from Pierre, richly textured. A vin de contemplation, the contemplation of which should last for a matter of minutes before an ecstatic consumption.
(Simon Field MW, Berrys’ Rhône Buyer)