2003 Roussanne

We use most of our Roussanne in our Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc each year. However, we often have some Roussanne lots in the cellar that are so powerfully characteristic of the varietal that we feel they would be too dominant in a blend. In these cases, we reserve a small quantity of this powerful Roussanne for a single-varietal bottling.

The 2003 vintage was tremendous: warm and sunny, with cool nights that prolonged the hangtime of the grapes and led to wines with excellent acidity. A relatively early flowering, combined with a warm but not overly hot summer produced unusually long hangtime, and grapes with concentrated flavors and a distinct minerality. The extended harvest meant that we harvested varietals multiple times, with Roussanne (as usual our latest-ripening white varietal) harvested between September 24th and October 25th.

The Roussanne grapes were whole cluster pressed, and fermented using native yeasts half in stainless steel and half in small French oak barrels. The wine was left on its lees for 6 months, and allowed to complete malolactic fermentation. After fermentation the wines were blended, and bottled in May 2004. The wines underwent only a light cold stabilization before bottling.

The 2003 Roussanne is a vibrant expression of the Roussanne grape. Aromas of pear, honeysuckle and marzipan are followed by a wine of rich texture, honey, pear and lemon flavors, bright acidity and a long minerally finish.