The Wine Companion
Stephen Tanzer
The Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator Online
Roussanne Marsanne - Steven Tanzer (IWC)
2009
55/25/20 blend. Bright gold. Sexy, highly perfumed bouquet of white peach, pear and nectarine, with suave floral and honey notes adding complexity. Juicy, focused and nervy on entry, picking up zesty acidity in the mid-palate and offering sweet orange and pit fruit flavors and good back-end grip. Plump but nervy blend with strong finishing thrust and lingering notes of gingerbread and honey. This would be great with rich poultry or seafood dishes.
2007
65/35 blend. Yellow-gold. Fresh pear, peach and melon aromas are underscored by white flowers and minerals. Light-bodied orchard fruit flavors are given firm bite by lemon zest and dusty minerals, picking up honeysuckle and sweeter orange flavors with air. Finishes with excellent cut and clarity. Fans of ostentatious whites will be scratching their heads over this understated, clean wine.
2006
Yellow-gold. Ripe peach, apricot and musky yellow plum on the nose, with toasted nut and jasmine accents. Plump and fleshy, showing a range of fresh and dried pit fruit flavors sweetened by a hint of floral honey. Fairly weighty wine, finishing on a dry but sappy note, with good clinging length.
2002
Pale, bright straw. Waxy and smoky on the nose, with restrained aromas of honeysuckle, apricot, clove and dried flowers. Thickly coated with stone fruits and citrus. Finishes warm and spirity, slightly raw and phenolic, with fresh acids and a flavor of grilled nuts. An unctuous, almost oily white blend.