Winemaker Notes
On the nose, it reveals delicate hints of honey and white flowers. In the mouth, it covers the palate bringing lemon and mineral notes. Its freshness and balance are noticeable. Food and Wine pairing: It can be drunk as an aperitif, with grilled meat or fish, barbecues, fresh fish or tuna.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 50% Clairette, 25% Grenache Blanc and 25% Roussanne, the 2017 Côtes du Rhône la Muse Papilles Blanc offers bright notes of orange blossom and citrus. Medium to full-bodied, this tank-aged blend delivers orange sherbet flavors, a slightly silky texture and a long, briny finish.
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.
Typically thought of as a baby Chateâuneuf-du-Pape, the term Côtes du Rhône actually doesn’t merely apply to the flatter outskirts of the major southern Rhône appellations, it also includes the fringes of well-respected northern Rhône appellations. White wines can be produced under the appellation name, but very little is actually made.
The region offers some of the best values in France and even some first-rate and age-worthy reds. Red wine varieties include most of the Chateâuneuf-du-Pape varieties like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise, as well as Carignan. White grapes grown include Grenache blanc, Roussanne and Viognier, among others.