Janasse Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2015
La Janasse is family-owned estate, operated by Christophe Sabon, his sister, and their father, follows organic farming methods. It is a highly esteemed winery that receives high ratings and praise from Robert Parker, making it a top-notch Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate. The wines produced by the estate are delicate and elegant, setting them apart from the powerful and slightly wild, bold wines often associated with Châteauneuf-du-Pape. When crafting a premium red wine, it is common to select grapes from old vines. This is because old vines have lower yields, and their roots delve deep into the ground, absorbing various nutrients and underground water sources. This results in a more intense and rich aromatic profile and complexity in the wine, along with enhanced aging potential .
As we start to transition from Summer to Fall, wine tastes and selections transition as well. In early Spring we start to see the lighter bodied white wines appear, the ones that taste the best when freshest and take the least amount of time for the wineries to prepare. Now as we go into the cooler months we start to see wines that take a little bit more time to ferment and construct arrive, and are also the ones with a little more oomph and body to them to stand up to heartier cool weather dishes. Not only are there great new wines arriving, but there are excellent deals to be found on any lingering bits and pieces from the previous vintage. Even if it is only a small amount left, it's better for the importers/distributors to get the older vintage out before the new one arrives to conserve space and any confusion. Year in and year out this bottling from one of the Rhone's best producers across all styles and price ranges is a very solid deal. Being able to offer up this at the end of the vintage for under $20 is almost stealing.
Primarily Grenache Blanc backed by Clairette and Bourbolenc and a splash of Viognier, the aromas are full of rich citrus and white fruits, as well as a nice pop of wild flowers (a little Viognier goes a long way). There is no oak aging as there is for higher end Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blancs, but a touch of buttery creaminess sits in among the fruit, enough to potentially attract a more adventurous Chardonnay drinker. The palate is a great blend of minerality and viscosity, round and mouth-filling yet still full of tangy fruit and melon rind-like textures. Though it isn't meant to age for decades, an extra year in the bottle has only brought out the underlying complexity, taking some of the immediate youthful fruitiness out and exposing the deeper, drier fruit character.
Tasting notes:
92 points Robert Parker
Roughly one-third each Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche and Roussanne, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc features fruit-forward aromas of pear, melon and tangerine. It's medium to full-bodied, with a lush, slightly creamy texture on the palate and a long, spice-driven finish.
Winery: Domaine de la Janasse
Country: France
Region: Rhône Valley
Variety: Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Viognier
Vintage: 2015
ABV: 14%
La Janasse是一家家族擁有的酒莊，由克里斯托夫·薩邦、他的姐姐和父親經營，遵循有機耕作方法。這是一家備受推崇的酒莊，從羅伯特·帕克（Robert Parker）那裡獲得高分和讚譽，使其成為一家一流的尚蒂尼堡酒莊。酒莊生產的葡萄酒精緻而優雅，與尚蒂尼堡酒莊常被認為是強大、稍微狂野和大膽的葡萄酒截然不同。在釀造高級紅酒時，常選擇老藤葡萄。這是因為老藤葡萄的產量較低，它們的根系深入地下，吸收各種營養和地下水源。這使得葡萄酒具有更濃鬱和豐富的香氣特徵和複雜性，同時也增強了陳釀潛力。
隨著我們從夏季過渡到秋季，葡萄酒的口味和選擇也會改變。在初春，我們開始看到輕身的白葡萄酒出現，這些葡萄酒在最新鮮時嘗起來最好，也需要最少的時間來準備。現在，隨著進入更涼爽的季節，我們開始看到需要更長時間發酵和建造的葡萄酒出現，它們也具有更多的力量和韌性，以應對更豐盛的涼爽天氣美食。不僅有新的葡萄酒問世，還有上一年份剩餘部分的優秀促銷品可供選擇。即使只剩下一小部分，對於進口商/經銷商來說，在新年份到來之前將舊年份的葡萄酒清出去可以節省空間並避免混淆。每年都有這樣一款來自羅納谷最佳生產者之一的葡萄酒，無論從風格或價格範圍來看，都是非常不錯的選擇。能以不到20美元的價格提供這款葡萄酒幾乎是賺了。
這款葡萄酒主要由格勒納什白葡萄、克萊雷特和布爾布藍克葡萄，並加入了一點維歐尼葡萄的調配。香氣中充滿了豐富的柑橘和白色水果，還有一絲野花的氣息（一點點維歐尼葡萄就足夠了）。由於沒有進行橡木陳釀，所以與高端的尚諾夫白葡萄酒不同，但是一絲奶油般的豐滿感融入了水果之中，足以吸引那些更喜歡探險的霞多麗酒愛好者。口感融合了礦物感和粘稠感，圓潤而豐滿，但仍然充滿了爽口水果和甜瓜皮般的質地。雖然它不是用來陳年幾十年的，但多了一年的瓶中陳年只會展現出更深層次的複雜性，減少了即時年輕水果的味道，暴露出更深、更乾的果味特徵。
品嚐筆記：
Robert Parker給予92分
大約三分之一的格勒納什白葡萄、克萊雷特布蘭奇和魯薩訥，2022年的尚諾夫白酒散發著梨子、甜瓜和橘子的水果香氣。中等至豐滿的口感，口腔中帶著豐盈、略帶奶油質感，以及悠長、香料驅動的收尾。
酒莊：Domaine de la Janasse
國家：法國
產區：羅納谷
品種：格勒納什白葡萄、魯薩訥和維歐尼葡萄
年份：2015
酒精度：14%