Clos des Centenaires Roussanne blanc 2021

Clos des Centenaires, based at Vauvert in the south of France, makes this white under the Costières de Nîmes appellation from Roussanne with Marsanne, two grapes native to the Rhône Valley and often blended for full-bodied whites. The vineyards lie between the Rhône and the Cévennes, on stony ground in a warm Mediterranean climate that ripens the fruit fully and gives the wine its 14% alcohol and generous body. Roussanne brings apricot and floral aromatics along with structure, while Marsanne adds weight and a nutty depth. The wine is aged for twelve months in foudres, large old oak casks whose slow oxygen exchange rounds the texture and adds subtle spice without the vanilla-heavy character of new barrels. The estate is farmed organically. The colour is deep gold. The nose shows apricot and white peach with white flowers, honey and a light almond note, and the palate is broad, savoury and rounded, its ripe fruit carried by a beeswax richness and a warm, saline finish. This is a white for the table rather than for chilling hard. Serve at 11 to 13 degrees in a full white glass.