About this WINE
White Rhône Blend
With the exception of the wines from Condrieu and Château-Grillet virtually all Rhône Valley whites are made from blends.
In the north, the white wines of Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph, and St-Péray are produced from blends of Marsanne and Roussanne. Generally Marsanne is the dominant partner and it lends colour, body and weight to the blend, as well as richly scented fruit. Roussanne, a notoriously low yielder and pernickety to grow, produces intensely aromatic wines which contribute bouquet, delicacy and finesse to the blend.
Until about 15 years ago there was very little interest in southern Rhône whites as it was widely believed that the combination of dull non aromatic grapes and the baking summer heat meant quality wine production was nigh impossible. Since then the quality has improved markedly through the introduction of cool fermentation techniques and increased plantings of northern Rhône white grapes.
The base of many blends is still Grenache Blanc, a widely planted variety producing fresh wines with apple-like fruits, often with hints of aniseed. Ugni Blanc is still found in many blends, as is Clairette though their general lack of character and definition has led to a reduction in plantings. The future for southern Rhône whites appears to lie with Roussanne, Marsanne, and, increasingly, Viognier.
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Description
A candidate for best St Péray from the vintage, this is made with a 100% Marsanne from granitic soil and barrel fermented in 25% new oak. There is almost a golden brightness to the glass and a typical Marsanne viscosity on the palate that makes this a perfect match for food. Delicious floral notes combine with white apples and opulent notes of oven roasted lemons and ripe white peaches with a typical nutty Marsanne finish.
Fine Wine Team
The on-going re-emergence of St Péray (mirroring for whites the red wine phenomenon in Cornas) continues apace. Yves’ Cerfs cuvée stood out in 2011. It is made from 100% old-vine, granitic Marsanne and has been aged in 33% new wood. Hazelnut, pear skin and white pepper dominate the taster’s first (and on-going) impressions.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Energetic, dynamic and likeable, Yves Cuilleron is seen as the most influential and, at times, the most outspoken of the Northern Rhône producers. The completely rebuilt winery at Chavanay is testament to both his success and ambition; Yves’ skill lies in disseminating the minutiae of terroir (now, in my view, with even better results as the use of new wood has been relaxed a little). ‘Tendu’ seemed to be his most popular adjective used to describe the 2011s: ‘tight-knit, nervous, and with potential’ is my rather prosaic and, in all probability, not entirely accurate translation, a little close to a personification perhaps.
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