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| Rhoneglacier, Oberwald, Switzerland |
From far away and near they have come. Tall bottles of familiar shapes containing notes of exotic fruits and floral bouquets, blessed with a pleasantly fresh volume of spring rich in their bright mouthfeel. They have announced themselves with names like
Domaine de Fontbonau or
Guigal Cotes-du-Rhone, identities that preserve their humble origins in the ancient vineyards of the glacial Rhone Valley of France. Then they traveled the world to far away places such as Australia and California, with monikers such as
Yalumba and
d'Arenberg Hermit Crab, or the Golden State's
Bonny Doon Le Cigare Blanc. They are the 'alternative whites' as a wine category, and as these selections have gone global in recent centuries, we commonly know them today as the those valued 'white Rhones'.
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| Sunny vineyards of Tablas Creek, Paso Robles |
Sure, you can drop a bundle for a classic
Viognier from its ancestral home in
Condrieu AOC, but for the most part, these international selections tend to be alternatives, under the radar for most springtime white wine lovers. Even from its glacial origins, Lyon to Marseille, along more than 170 north to south miles of the Rhone River, there is today only a small amount of acreage planted here to the white Rhone varieties, as this historically is a summer baked red wine country along a continental corridor. As many as a dozen indigenous white grape varietals have evolved throughout this region, each with their own personality, their own power and weakness. From the Old World they went globe trotting, now typically planted in more advantageous landscapes to trumpet their own unique individual qualities.
Wine it is said can be like music, where it takes the magic of an inspired musician invested in a dramatic musical score that is played with a distinguished instrument. Alone, the white Rhone's can display different individual traits, but together they seem to have come from the likes of woodwinds. Combine the oboe and clarinet, add the saxophone or bassoon to make beautiful, inspired music; just imagine Ravels's "Balero" without, or the desert siren of Duke Ellington's, "Caravan" minus its harmonic blending of reeds. Typically, the splendor, the grace and multi-faceted personality of these uncommon white grape varietals shows best when blended with another; a sort of yin and yang.
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| Vineyards of Languedoc-Roussillon, southern France |
Among these notable selections, late ripening, aromatic
Roussanne can harmonize with a honeyed richness, yet tends to be a wine of structure and moderate acid levels. Often found together, a flabby, low-acid
Marsanne is a hardy grower, but has the complexity of nuance, offering notes of toasted nut and apple-pear. Whereas long-established
Piquepoul(picpoul) Blanc, contributes good strength of acid and has citrus notes, but is typically pale in color. Adaptable, and as a result widely planted,
Grenache Blanc, a relative of the rouge, tends to be low to moderate in acid, but with a partners talent to acclimate. And then, there's the a single varietal with name recognition, but with yields that are un-predictable: full bodied, golden
Viognier offers its prominent floral aromas and ripe notes that remind us of tropical fruits. Simply put, it is the relative power and distinction of these lesser known varietals that allow them to complement one another, while offering the consumer a versatile, food-friendly alternative to summer
Chardonnay.
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| Refreshing acid strength comes in many colors |
Eight(8) affordable white Rhone's of global origins were presented at a recent comparative tasting, priced from $13 to $19. Amazingly, although they were unique of birthplace and blend, each offered a similar refreshing verse orchestrated with a different grape ensemble. Each showed power in different parts of their score; their aromatics, mouthfeel, flavor personality and fresh, sometimes lingering exit. Moreover, when the panels' scores were tallied it was found that there were only a few points between most to least favored. Even as the fine selections of the New World showed well, most tasters had Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc alternatives ranked near the top.
Truly, the price of a simple bottle is a modest investment that can open any tasters' world. Local events, too, like the annual
Rhone Rangers celebrations, or the upcoming inaugural
Garagiste Wine Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma(May 12) can be a delicious educational buffet that will tastefully aid outdoor gatherings in the warmer months ahead. Or, orchestrate your own garden party around locally available white Rhone's. It is a great opportunity whenever presented to then get out and spring to a bright southern Rhone alternative.
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| Grapevine spring berry-set |
Salute!
WineLinks:
http://californiagaragistes.com/2018-sonoma-wineries/
https://rhonerangers.org/
http://www.rhone-wines.com/en/cepage
