Winemaker Notes
Pale blonde in color with silver reflections, this rounded white wine reveals aromas of white peach, lemon peel, and delicate floral notes with a touch of minerality. It pairs beautifully with pan-fried sole and butternut gratin.
Blend: 95% Marsanne, 5% Roussanne
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A well-composed, balanced and precise blend of 95% marsanne and 5% roussanne. It has notes of preserved lemons, white flowers and some verbena. It's medium-bodied with a fresh core of succulent white fruit and herbs on the palate. Well driven and agile with a vivid finish of excellent length. From organically grown grapes.
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Jeb Dunnuck
An even split of Marsanne and Roussanne, the 2022 Crozes-Hermitage Mule Blanche has a bright, citrus-driven, mineral, and orange blossom-like style as well as medium-bodied richness and depth. It's bright, vibrant, and balanced.
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.
Crozes-Hermitage is Northern Rhone’s largest appellation, surrounding the steep granite faces of Hermitage to its north and south. Here the rolling vineyards are less extreme and its soils, rich in clay-limestone and alluvial matter, produce Syrahs that range from fruity and charming to lush and seductive. The Syrahs of Crozes-Hermitage have more mass than those from St. Joseph but are less intense than those from Hermitage. While many are intended for early consumption, some of the best Syrahs from Crozes-Hermitage will age beautifully for 5-10 years.
Up to 15% of white grapes may theoretically be added to red Crozes at the time of fermentation but whether this is done or not depends on the decision of the winemaker. The best Crozes-Hermitage Syrahs will be fleshy with black fruit (currant, blackberry and black cherry) and bay leaf qualities, notes of tar and stone, and a well-concentrated finish of smooth tannins.
About a tenth of the wine produced in Crozes-Hermitage is white, primarily composed of Marsanne supplemented by smaller amounts of Roussanne.