Y. Rousseau Russian River Valley Tannat 2011
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2014-
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Yannick was born in the Gascony region in the South-West of France known for its delicious, rich food, daily wine consumption and impressive longevity of the inhabitants. His life-long journey in wine started when he was 5 years old and drank his first glass of homemade wine with Pépé, his grandpa. Pépé hunted his own food, made his own wine, and was an artisan butcher.
The first wine Yannick ever made was Colombard, a white variety native to Gascony. Yannick was then studying for his winemaking degree at Toulouse University and interning in Côtes de Gascogne. Not surprisingly, Colombard became Yannick’s ‘founding wine’ when he established Y. Rousseau Wines in Napa in 2008. Yannick was elated to find older Colombard vines in a small Russian River Valley vineyard. The dry, refreshing Colombard has been one of Yannick's most popular wines since.
Tannat is another wine that Yannick first made in France. He was truly fortunate to work side-by-side with the French Tannat guru Alain Brumont, who enlightened Yannick on the art of blending and a perfectionist approach to winemaking. At Y. Rousseau Wines Yannick now makes not one, but two award-winning Tannats!
In 2008, Yannick and his Texas-born wife and accomplice Susan started Y. Rousseau Wines. Before getting there, Yannick honed his winemaking skills as an assistant winemaker at Newton Vineyards and later as a winemaker at Chateau Potelle Winery.
Yannick hadn't planned to stay in California for a long time when he moved here from France. But he fell in love - first, with Napa Valley terroir and then, with his wife Susan. Together, they have put all their knowledge, experience, and passion in the Y. Rousseau project, crafting small-lot, artisanal wines.
Yannick stays deeply connected to his French roots. He will always remain the son and grandson of a farmer, home winemaker, and country butcher. His down-to-earth, respectful approach to the vineyard is obvious when you taste his wine.
Named for its naturally high level of tannins, Tannat is a brooding, rustic, dark red wine that sees its origin in the Madiran region of France. Similar to Malbec’s journey to Argentina from France, Tannat made a similar move in the early 19th century but landed in Uruguay in the hands of Basque settlers. Today Tannat thrives in its warm South American climate, producing a bold, black fruit driven red. Somm Secret—Uruguay producers have the freedom to blend firm Tannat with any other grape whereas Madiran law restricts Tannat’s blending grapes to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and the indigenous grape, Fer.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.