Rotem and Mounir Sauouma are re-defining the rules of Southern Rhone whites with their Inopia Cotes du Rhone Villages Blanc. Rich and dramatically delicious, it combines the refined characteristics of White Burgundy with the exotic and lush notes of a White Chateauneuf.
Trust me folks, this wine tastes like no other Cotes du Rhone Blanc I’ve ever met. There is a lot going on here, and every sip reveals something new. If you like rich, flashy, and luxurious whites, this is a must try.
2017 Saouma Inopia Cotes du Rhone Villages Blanc
Lavish White Burgundy meets Exotic White Rhone in this stunner!
95 points Josh Spurling, 93 points Jeb Dunnuck, 92 points Wine Spectator
To order, stop by the store or click here to order in our online store.
I liked Saouma’s wines enough to buy every bottle my distributor had in stock. It’s worth noting they also make a red that is very worth of your attention too — click here to check that out. Also worth mentioning, I can’t find a better price than ours anywhere. Most online retailers who got lucky enough to get any are at $30 to $35. Thus, there’s a great deal on the table here.
More importantly, take a look at prices of top-flight White Burgundy and/or White Chateauneuf. You’re going to be looking at paying at least $50, but more likely $75+. Enough about our great pricing on these, this stuff is sensational. From an old plot near Orange in the Southern Rhone, husband and wife Mounir and Rotem Saouma have maximized the potential of this rocky, desolate, low-yielding vineyard.
What is unique about this white is that the couple are using Burgundian practices in the making and raising of the wine. A field blend of Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier, the wine is whole-cluster pressed and fermented in a combination of French oak and cement eggs. It is aged 18 months on its fine lees and is bottled without fining or filtration.
The resulting wine will make a lot of heads spin. Offering up a thrilling nose of caramelized citrus, white peach, brioche, and mineral, the palate is full-bodied, luscious, and full of Burgundian character. Jeb Dunnuck liked it too, calling it “a sensational Côtes du Rhône Blanc that offers up loads of minerality as well as orchard fruits, brioche, toasted almonds, and white flower aromas and flavors.” It must be tasted to be understood, and I can’t wait to enjoy a bottle with lobster and drawn butter.
To order, stop by the store or click here to order in our online store.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville