Winemaker Notes
Enjoy with fish, some shellfish, Comté cheese; also, great as an aperitif.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I continue to be impressed by this cuvée and the 2015 Lirac Cuvee de La Reine des Bois Blanc is another beautiful wine. Offering terrific notes of stone fruits, citrus blossom and a hint of freshly peeled apples, it has medium to full-bodied richness, integrated acidity and a great finish. This puppy has the freshness and purity to stand on its own, as well as the richness and depth to shine on the dinner table.
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Wine Enthusiast
A full mish-mash of white Rhône varieties (the largest single component is Grenache Blanc, at 30%), this is a full-bodied, rich white. One-fourth of it is barrel fermented, which adds a clove element to the apricot and melon fruit.
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.
A larger region between Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Tavel, Lirac red wines resemble some of the best Cotes du Rhone Villages wines, while it’s rosés are akin to those of Tavel. The region’s quality whites, based on Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, are round and fruit-driven.