Winemaker Notes
A spectrum of red, blue, and black fruit pack into an opaque, luxuriously sleek mid-palate before crunchy, youthful tannin. The big, rich, coating body beckons for the savory, dry finish. One of the densest Originals vintage in the fourteen year history of the cuvee. The hedonistic waves begin to envelope the pronounced tannin.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Smoking good notes of honeyed peach, orchard fruits, chamomile, and flower oil all emerge from the 2021 Roussanne L'Avion (there’s 7% Chardonnay), a medium to full-bodied, rich, yet still vibrant and focused white with good acidity. The palate is more restrained and tighter than the nose would have you believe, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this benefit from a year of bottle age.
Rating: 93+ -
Wine Spectator
This bottling is always one for the cellar, or a great immediate alternative for lovers of rich, even aged Chardonnay. Aromas of hazelnut, pecan, masa and yellow cake make for a toasty nose. That warmth carries through the palate, where toasted nut and apple-pie flavors are leveled by salty citrus peel.
Cellar Selection
Full and silky in body but also charmingly crisp, Roussanne is native to the Rhône Valley of France. It is responsible for some of the finest Northern Rhône white wines. Roussanne adds richness and acidity to Marsanne’s soft, fruitiness, making age worthy and highly respected whites. Somm Secret—Roussanne takes its name from the French word, roux, meaning rouge or red because of the berry’s pink glow. In California, virtually all of the 339 acres of Roussanne come from true clones brought over by Tablas Creek and John Alban.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.