This blog is based on the Spirits of New Mexico radio show that aired on October 2, 2021. We do on-air tasting of one or two wines to illustrate what is available in a particular wine region, or as a contrast of what influence a wine region has on a grape or blend. We also contrast wine styles as in the current blog. We use suitable glasses for the type of wine and do a double-decant of red wines to insure they have opened sufficiently for accurate judging.
Now that we are fully into fall, it’s time to think of wine and balloons. OK, maybe only in New Mexico do we think of that, but as more and more balloons crowd our sky of course we would. The French had much to do with ballooning; in fact the first successful launches were in 1783. So I’m thinking French white wines for the beginning of our Balloon Fiesta celebration.
The Rhone Valley is well known for its red wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas and the savory Rose of Tavel, as well as the reds of Hermitage and Cote Rotie. However the valley’s whites are also outstanding. Since we have given much attention to Rhone red as well as Rose wines, it is now time to explore the whites.
Rhone White Grapes
The four principal white grapes of the Rhone Valley are Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Viognier. While there might be some blends in the north, Viognier is usually made alone. However there are many other highly-regarded white grapes that grow well on the Rhone Valley.
Grenache Blanc:
Grenache Blanc is the fourth most widely planted white grape in France, and the most widely planted white in both the Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellations. It’s drought-resistant, vigorous, easy to graft and ripens fairly early right after Viognier and Marsanne. Like its Grenache Noir counterpoint it originated in Spain and is an important Rioja grape. In blends Grenache Blanc contributes rich mouthfeel, crisp acidity and a long finish.
Marsanne:
This is the white workhorse grape of the Southern Rhône and much of Southern France. Marsanne is a sturdy, hardy grape that produces a full-bodied wine – with the heft of a good Chardonnay, but a less complex palate. It provides the base of many white blends as a result that build on its base structure.
Roussanne:
Roussanne is named for its russet-colored skin. The grapes are somewhat prone to rot, but high in acidity and aromatic qualities. It’s a racy, lively wine that has the potential to age – setting it apart from the other Rhone whites. In the Southern Rhone, Roussanne is often the premium component of white blends.
Viognier:
Viognier (vee-own-nyay) is famous for the rich and exotically perfumed white wines in the Condrieu and Château-Grillet regions of northern Rhône. It was presumed to have been transported there from Dalmatia by Emperor Probus in AD 281. Not personally, of course.
Viognier requires a vintner’s skills to bring it to its fullest expression. It produces extremely low yields and needs time to reach peak maturity to reveal its extraordinary aroma and flavor. Viognier is once again being heavily planted in France but still rated as rare in the Wine Folly book. Viognier can be rich, full-bodied and lush with distinctive aromas of peaches, apricots, orange blossoms and honeysuckle.
Clairette
Clairette has been around since the 1500s. It is used in the production of white and Rose blends. It is famously used in red Chateauneuf de Pape. Clairette, with its ability to deliver both low alcohol and high acidity is used in a blend to add acidity. Flavors include green apple, lime, peach, licorice, white peach and floral characteristics. It is also used in the production of Vermouth.
Other whites:
Since the southern Rhone has so many combinations of grapes one might also encounter Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc and Picpoul. In the past decade Vermentino (known locally as Rolle) is appearing in an increasing number of blended wines from the southern Rhone.
Map excerpt courtesy of Wine Folly
Costières de Nimes
Costières de Nîmes is the Rhone Valley’s most southern sub-region, descending to where the Rhone River meets the Mediterranean Sea, and benefits from the moderating effect of sea breezes. Freshness and purity of fruit is preserved and full maturity is guaranteed, especially for late ripening varietals. I have sampled several Rose wines from this region and enjoyed every one of them.
Chateau de Nages
We last explored this winery’s wines two years ago and they are well-represented at Total Wines and other wine shops. The winery is organic and the terroir is quite good where they source their grapes.
Chateau location: These vineyards sit upon the largest Villafranchian terrace in Europe The top layer of terroir is made up of stony deposits from the Rhone called “Gres” (to a depth of 5 to 25 meters). Below are red iron-rich clay beds which retain water and help the vineyards in times of drought. Thanks to the composition the Costières de Nîmes subsoil, the deeply rooted vineyards are well-drained.
Note: The Villafranchian terrace was when humans first appeared, named after Villafranca d’Asti, a town near Turin. This occurred from 3 to 1 million years ago. Just trying to save you looking this up.
Terroir expression: Its northern exposure, facing the prevailing winds (the Mistral), and its coastal location, generate late ripening while maintaining freshness and acidity in their fruit and transmitting remarkable aromatic intensity.
Grapes planted: The vineyards are planted with typical Rhone varietals. Syrah is a grape variety that excels in this terroir. Grenache is reserved for the leaner soils that temper its natural exuberance. The Mourvèdre confers a striking spicy complexity. For the whites, certain parcels of terroir have a predilection for Roussanne which offers aromatic richness. Grenache Blanc rounds the blends with its crystalline mineral imprint.
Chateau de Nages wines:
- Vox : GSM planted over 2,000 year old Roman vineyards
- JT: GSM and white blend
- Heritage: Vieilles Vignes is Héritage! This magical terroir gives naturally exuberant wines
- Extra Brut: Grenache blanc sparkling
- Butinage: Younger vineyard Red, white and Rose wines
What we are tasting: Chateau de Nages Heritage Blanc Vielles Vignes 2019 ABV 13.5%, $17.99 at Total Wines
This wine is comprised of 60% Grenache Blanc, 20% Clairette, 15% Roussanne, and 5% Viognier. Vielles Vignes means old vines; how old depends on the region in France. It generally means the oldest vines of the chateau and can be 30-45 in Bordeaux, but up to 100 years in the Rhone Valley where vines can live much longer.
Winemaker notes from tech sheet:
“I have to admit that we feared the worst… but despite unusual weather conditions, we came out smiling with a slightly smaller crop than 2018 but of excellent quality, proof yet again that our terroir is well suited for grape vines, and the incredible resilience of that plant.”
- Appearance : beautiful bright yellow with green highlights
- Nose : notes of ripe yellow fruits (peach, pear, pineapple), flowers (acacia and rose), and vanilla
- Taste: silky attack, with volume and fruity richness. Long dynamic finish with a touch of salinity
Jeb Dunnuck 90 points: “deeper and richer, with more exotic notes of honeyed tangerines, crushed citrus and subtle floral aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, it offers solid mid-palate depth, a terrific spine of acidity, and a clean, dry finish that keeps you coming back to the glass.”
AOC Hermitage: North Rhône
Hermitage is a small appellation with 140 hectares (345 acres) of vineyards, responsible for France’s most enduringly prestigious wines. These are on a par with those from the Côte Rôtie (30 miles north), and Châteauneuf-du-Pape (70 miles south). Both red and white Hermitage wines are long-lived and full-bodied. From wine-searcher.com
The red wines, which may be aged for 30 years or more, are often produced exclusively from Syrah, but regulations permit up to 15 percent of the white grape varieties Marsanne and Roussanne. They are known for their robustness and rich aromas of leather, coffee and red berries.
The whites are less famous than the reds, but do account for about one third of Hermitage’s annual production. They can usually be cellared for about 15 years, have aromas of honeysuckle, tropical fruit and earthy minerals. They are made predominantly from Marsanne, with limited use of Roussanne.
The whole of the granite hillside where the Hermitage vineyards are planted faces south, overlooking a short section where the Rhône flows west to east, not north to south. This orientation means that the grapes benefit from the maximum amount of sunlight throughout the day. The town of Tain l’Hermitage sits between the vineyard slopes and the water.
What we are tasting: Chapoutier Hermitage Chante Alouette Blanc 2015, $130
The winery began way back in 1808. The name Chapoutier was associated with the company in 1897 when Marius Chapoutier joined forces with Rodolphe Delépine, exporting wines to Holland, Switzerland and Germany. Marius took over the reins in 1922, changing the name to his. In 1928 Marius bought the La Ciboise property (1.15 hectares) and later created the new winery at the foot of Hermitage hill.
- Marc Chapoutier succeeded Marius on his death in 1937.
- The name became M. Chapoutier in 1955.
- In 1989, winemaker Michel Chapoutier created the first ‘plot selections’ or Sélections Parcellaires.
- In 1990, Michel Chapoutier became head of the company and began to apply his belief in biodynamic cultivation.
From then onward Michel acquired properties in Australia, Roussillon, Portugal in 2007, Alsace in 2009. In 2015 came installations in Beaujolais and Provence. Acquisition of Maison Trenel, an estate in the Gard département and a hotel complex in Tain. Finally, or perhaps so far, the acquisition of an estate in the Gard department of Montfrin and an estate within the Crozes-Hermitage AOC area.
So if you were wondering where you’d seen that name before, now you know, it’s everywhere. Michel has said “if I were to be still I’d fall” and with his boundless energy he never will.
Tasting notes
- Appearance: brilliant and green gold.
- Nose: complex and subtle, aromas of quince, walnut, honey, ginger, acacia, hint of linden-tree.
- Palate: frank attack, without aggressiveness, final of almond, very elegant and good length.
- Sommelier’s advice: Foie gras, lobster, goat cheese, blue cheese
- Grape variety/varieties: Marsanne.
- Harvest: Hand-harvested at maturity.
- Soil: The grapes from which this wine is produced come from three different vineyards:
- “Le Méal”: a soil of very old fluvio-glacial alluvial deposits with high pebble content.
- “Les Murets”: soil is clay-gravel. Its red clays give the wines a full, rich character.
- “Chante-Alouette”: a high-lying terroir whose soil is a mixture of loess and very finely decomposed granite. It gives the wine freshness, salinity and acidity.
Vinification: The musts are obtained after a long pressing and are lightly settled before fermentation. Part of the fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks and part in demi-muids. The lees are stirred up (bâtonnage) for the first 2-3 months adding texture to the wine.
Analysis
I tried to stop Eddy from starting with the Chapoutier, but too late. He wasn’t able to give the Ch. De Nages a fair revue, but Kevin and I were very impressed with this wine at its price point. It tasted like something much higher in price, although not $110 more! Nonetheless an exciting blend of whites. The Chapoutier was flat out amazing with flavors one might not expect in a six year old white, but it still has not peaked. Kevin indicated they were close to out of this wine and now featuring the 2016. Not like y’all were going to run out to get a case, huh?
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