2006 Yves Collines Marsanne Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes Northern Rhône France. Beekman Wines, Glen Rock. $24.99.
Yellow color, clear hue, forward aromas of apricots and peaches, very good fruit and spice tastes with a bit of mineral and earth background, rich impression, bright acidity, good finish. A very pretty wine. Rich Marsanne from the Rhone region of France showing bright apricot and peach aromas with a soft but weighty textured. A dose of spice on the back adds complexity and more texture. This wine would be a lovely match with a white fish in butter sauce with some beans and a bit of spinach on the side. 4*.
Beekman -- http://www.beekmanwine.com/ I've mentioned in the past that I think Beekman's is the epitome of local wine stores. A very good stock, knowledgeable people, excellent wines on offer on Saturdays, responsive and helpful. Joel would offer better wines to taste, but in practice he finds that people won't buy wines above the $25 or so price point as the result of his tastings. But he shows some very nice wines in the $15 to $25 range, and provides lots of information at the same time.
Here's an example.
The Rhône is famous for red wines, but whites are also produced from Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, & four other varietals. Caves Yves Cuilleron, in Chavanay, is a Northern Rhône success stories. From 3.5 hectares in 1987, the estate now boasts 30 ha. In addition to his hugely sought-after Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, and Cote Rôtie, Yves also produces remarkable Syrah, Marsanne, and Viognier from slightly higher elevations that are not allowed to use the famous Appellation Controlée names and are thus called Collines Rhodaniennes. This wine was fermented and aged in barrel. Only 400 cases were produced.
Marsanne is thought to have originated in the Rhône, but it is also now grown in Australia, Switzerland, and California. A difficult grape to grow, it is subject to problems such as powdery mildew (odium), bunch rot, berry cracking, and excessive juicing at harvest. It is also very fussy about its growing conditions, producing bland wines if temperatures are either too warm or too cool. However when growing conditions are right, the round, medium-gold to amber Marsanne berries make fairly full-bodied, deep-colored wines with intriguing aromas and flavors that suggest almond paste, melon, citrus, minerals, perfume, and even model airplane cement (!) Low acidity means Marsanne wine is best consumed young.