2 - 2012 Roussanne, Sonoma County 750ml
2 - 2012 Marsanne, Sonoma Valley Estate 750ml
Many producers of Rhone variety whites are making “Chardonnay wannabees” – big, fat wines with lots of new oak. At Wellington Vineyards we produce Marsanne, Roussanne, and Sauvignon Blanc with minimal new oak, so that the true character of the grape variety shines through.
2012 Roussanne, Sonoma County
Gold Medal, Sonoma County Harvest Fair, 2014
Roussanne is a variety that has been grown in the Northern Rhône appellations of Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St. Joseph and St. Peray for centuries. A century ago, White Hermitage was considered the best white wine in France.
2012 Marsanne, Sonoma Valley Estate
88 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Our original half-acre block of Marsanne is interplanted with a small bit of Viognier, thanks to a nursery mix-up. We grafted a bit more than another half acre to a “new” clone of Marsanne and our first estate Roussanne in 2002.
Marsanne has a reputation for age-worthiness, and tasting of our earlier vintages supports this. The aromas intensify, and the wine develops a honeyed character after two or three years in bottle. If you lay some bottles down for a couple of years you will be justly rewarded. The 2005 is drinking beautifully now, and showing no signs of old age.
Specs
2012 Marsanne, Sonoma Valley Estate
Vineyard source: 100% estate
Cepagement: 95% Marsanne, 5% Viognier
Alcohol: 14.0%
pH: 3.33
Production: 147 cases
2012 Roussanne, Sonoma County
Vineyard sources: 73% estate, 27% Barclay
Cepagement: 93% Roussanne, 7% Viognier
Alcohol: 13.7%
pH: 3.33
Production: 367 cases
