2001 La Ferme Du Mont “La Truffière” Côtes du Rhône, Rhône Valley, France $14.95
The problem with so many white Rhône wines is that they are flat, tired, flabby, and insipid… basically they often lack the requisite acidity that makes one desire a second glass. This is even the case with so many of the more expensive examples that we see here in Canada; Condrieu and Hermitage, I am looking directly at you here! Now and again an inexpensive white Rhône turns up that gives me faith once more that this great region is more than capable of turning out some decent white wine, and this Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Clairette bottling from rising star Winemaker Stéphane Vedeau is certainly one of those.
There’s a wonderful freshness here… it’s all apricots, pears, and white blossoms on the nose, perhaps a little honeyed waxy character hidden in there. The palate is uplifting, crisp, crunchy, and NATURALLY acidic, such a rarity in wines like this… but there is also a lovely mouthfeel, a textural quality that I’m a sucker for.
There’s not much of this around anymore (click here to search for LCBO stores with stock), but with such a surprising sell-through I’m pretty sure that we’ll be seeing more of La Truffière in the next 12 months or so. I also have it on good word that quite a few of the city’s more informed Sommeliers picked some up for their lists, so expect to spot some around town in restaurants also.
Really quite delightful and worth every penny.
Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge, and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… And that is the best value white he has tasted in quite some time.
