Description
It’s rare that you see varietally-labelled Roussanne from California, and even more rare to find one of such elegance and purity. The hallmark characteristic of the Bennett Valley Roussanne grapes used in this blend is extremely slow ripening, with harvests consistently falling well into October. We attribute the intensity on the nose to the fruit’s time on the vine, maturing slowly, with complex flavours evolving long before sugar accumulation. Since 2013, the Roussanne for this elegant blend has come from two temperate vineyards in the western benchlands of Bennett Valley. Two thirds is grown in the rocky soils of Dry Stack Vineyard, with the remainder coming from the Vivio Vineyard. The combination produces a wine that achieves both complexity and delicacy. Upfront, 2016 shows classic Roussanne characters of beeswax, honeysuckle and lychee fruit that we associate with Dry Stack Vineyard, but also Anjou pear and white peach that we attribute to Vivio. A lovely hint of reduction comes across like almond croissant. This aroma on the nose contrasts beautifully with the vivid, fresh fruit by mouth. The salinity on the finish is quenching and mouth-watering at the same time. Topping it off, the 5% of Viognier from the beloved Kobler Family Vineyard adds a beautiful note of quince and apricot on the nose while contributing to added richness on the palate.