La Jassine White Wine

Tasting Notes

Some rain in the spring created mildew challenges across France but not for us and it gave way to a hot and dry summer . At times it was exceptionally hot and shut down the vines but mild conditions late summer into the harvest made for ideal conditions to pick perfectly ripe fruit.

Where to buy

The Region

All the fruit comes from two distinct vineyards in the Côtes du Rhône appellation. The primary vineyard is in Montfrin on the southwestern edge of the Côtes du Rhône where we have 25-year-old Clairette blanche vines planted in Galets Roulé (rounded riverstones). The other vineyard is in Carmignan which is located on the right back of the Rhône River (across from Orange) and has 70-year-old Clairette rose vines planted in clay with chunks of limestone.

The Wine

60% of the fruit was fermented in older neutral barrels and remained on lees until bottling. This technique is mainly preformed to enhance the texture and creaminess of this offering. The other 40% of fruit was fermented in a stainless-steel tank, helping to provide a fresh and bright compliment to the barrel fermented fruit. The resulting wine has aromas and flavors of yellow peach, orange blossom, honeycrisp apple, chamomile and with minerality woven throughout. The wine has a beautiful balance between decadence and freshness.

The History

Clairette has been planted throughout the Southern Rhone and Provence for a hundred years plus, but it is only recently, with the progressively hot and dry seasons where it’ s potential has become so clear . It is a grape that is prone to rot with humidity and rain, and it tends to take its time to ripen so warm and dry vintages allow it to ripen perfectly without rot pressure resulting in wines with both depth and finesse. In my opinion the greatest wines of the South these days are all Clairette dominated. I’m not aware of another predominantly Clairette white from the Rhone on the market at our moderate price.