Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Density and freshness to the layered and delicious white that shows cream, lemon-curd, cooked-pear and sliced-apple character. Medium to full body. Flavorful finish.
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Wine & Spirits
Scents of pale yellow cherries and white cranberries fill this generous blend of marsanne and viognier. It has the oiliness of lemon rind, as well as a lanolin fatness that’s moderated by the spicy grape-skin tannins. Chill it for meaty roast fish.
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Wine Spectator
Effusive, juicy and ripe, with peach, apricot and melon flavors that are generous and plump. Floral and spice notes emerge on the finish. Shows terrific harmony and persistence. Viognier and Marsanne. Drink now.
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.