Right when I stuck my nose in the glass of this lovely white, I was reminded of a nearly perfect, sunny day I spent on the Provencal coast several years back. This wine smells just like that day did, and this value-priced blend of Vermentino and Chardonnay can transport you to that place too.
Brought to us by legendary importer Neal Rosenthal, this will appeal to a wide range of white wine lovers. It smells great, it tastes great, and it's made by great folks. Brand new to the US, the wines of Mas de Valeriole are the model of the types of wines I seek out. Small family estates, traditional winemaking, certified organic, and most importantly, DELICIOUS! That's the good news, the bad news is that I could only land 84 bottles.
2021 Mas de Valeriole Charmentin Blanc
This literally smells like a bright and sunny Provencal day!
ORDER NOW in our online store.
Located just 10 miles south of Arles, where Gaugin, Picasso, and Van Gogh set up shop to capture the area’s spellbinding southern light, lie the pristine vineyards of Mas de Valeriole. This is Provence, but this is a much more raw and rugged part of the region. Since the 15th century, the vine has been farmed here, and that tradition continues today.
Purchased by the Michel Family in the 1950's, the family mainly sold grapes to the local cooperative for many years, saving some of their crop to make wines for themselves and their friends. Around the turn of the century, brothers Jean-Paul and Patrick Michel focused their energies on improving the estate’s wines, adopting organic practices in 2006 (certified today) and refining their approach in the cellar. Today, the next generation is beginning to assume greater responsibilities, and the wines are better than ever.
That brings us to their lovely white wine, a blend of 70% Rolle (aka Vermentino) and 30% Chardonnay fermented with native yeasts in tank. This is a wine that brings the aromas, flavors, and joy of Provence to you. Aromas and flavors of peach, Meyer lemon, pear, apple, white flowers and saline minerality all make an appearance. While there is bright and refreshing acidity here, it's not overly assertive. Instead, this is a white anchored by the cleansing sense of bitterness left on the palate by the thick-skinned Rolle (Vermentino).
A wine that would be ideal served with a fish stew, seafood paella, or not a thing at all, that bitter finish I alluded to earlier kind of reminds me of the finish I get in a White Vermouth or Lillet. I love it, and you will too!
ORDER NOW in our online store.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville