Winemaker Notes
They pair well with the alfresco meals we eat and the cuisine typical of this area: grilled seafood, papaya salsa, meadow picnics, the beach, seafood skewers and general fun. These wines are great while young and develop to an entirely other experience with bottle age. Try M5 White with grilled foods, especially fish and sausage, tapenades, ratatouille and fish stew. For cheese, we suggest light blues & triple creams.
Blend: 50% Grenache Blanc, 13% Viognier, 14% Marsanne, 22% Roussanne, 1% Picpoul Blanc
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Very clean lines of lemon juice, freshly cut Asian pear and lightly colored melon show on the nose of this blend of 50% Grenache Blanc, 22% Roussanne, 15% Marsanne, 12% Viognier and 1% Picpoul Blanc. There is great grip to the sip, where lime pith, honeysuckle and jasmine flavors converge.
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Vinous
The 2018 M5 White Margerum Estate Vineyard, a blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier and Picpoul Blanc, is another gorgeous wine in this range from Doug Margerum. Beautifully layered in the glass, with striking nuance, the 2018 has so much to offer. Bright citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes all meld together in this gracious, delicious white that captures all of the tension and brightness that is such a signature here.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Last of the whites, the 2018 M5 White checks in as a blend of mostly Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, with smaller amounts of Viognier, Marsanne, and Picpoul Blanc. Its light gold color is followed by notes of ripe lemons, tart pineapple, spice, and white flowers. It's elegant, medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, and offers some serious quality for not much buck.
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.
Today it is an integral part of the greater Santa Barbara County wine region, but at one time the village, Los Olivos, was a stop on the Wells Fargo stagecoach line.