I don't mind admitting that the French section of wine shops intimidate me a little. It isn't necessarily the wine itself but rather what is written on the label. The quality classification system used in France seems an insurmountable and confusing muddle of information that provides no real information or clue as to the quality of the liquid inside.
I suspect this may be true of more than just me (or at least I hope so) and this may be why people pass on French wine in favour of recognisable and 'safe' wine. After all, most people now know an Aussie Shiraz or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is a fairly safe bet. Who wants to risk a tenner on a French bottle, only for it to taste like terps?
If you do feel like taking a chance or are in need of direction, I would heartily recommend the Roussanne and Marsanne grape variety as a great starting place. Featuring heavily in the Northern Rhone region in France, these two grape varieties are often blended together to produce full bodied, great tasting dry whites that have a pleasant floral aroma and slightly more advanced structure. Marsanne/Roussanne blends are available in most wine outlets and even the conservatively priced bottles give you a half decent drink and a welcome rest from the usual suspects.
The word Roussanne is rooted from the French word for red or russet,
which is the colour the skin turns when ripe. This grape is known to be
difficult to produce large yields but despite this, also comes as a
varietal wine (we have already covered this word in a previous blog) for
which the subject of this review is a good example. Made by La Croix
Gratiot and purchased from a well sourced and friendly wine shop in
Didsbury called Reserve Wines, this bottle was in the £9.99 region at
time of purchase.
On the nose the Rousanne is clean throughout, providing an initial and
distinct scent of warm stone, partnered with floral
tones and honeysuckle. On the palate the wine has a smooth and almost
oily texture, accompanied by a faintly nutty taste. Acid is ever
present but any potency is disguised by honey and sharp citrus, giving it
a dry yet smooth overall taste. The oily, nutty texture is the last
taste to leave but remains balanced right to the last, making this a very enjoyable drop. I can imagine that older examples of this wine would taste great, having had chance to develop and add further complexity to their flavour.
I am with you. I am much more comfortable with Italian wines than French. I do, however, look forward to the learning process. We get both Marsanne and Rousanne from a small producer in Sonoma and have enjoyed the pairing and discovery.
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ReplyDeleteThis wine was made by my neighbour at Croix Gratiot, Anaïs. Their website is here, in case you want to visit while in the Languedoc: Croix Gratiot - and if you'd like to stay nearby here's an i-escape page on Domaine Saint Hilaire. Anaïs is a young wine maker with lots of potential, she also does a great Picpoul and perhaps the Languedoc's only Ice Wine from Viognier grapes! (You'll have to ask her how!).
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