Simone Palette Blanc 2020

Importer notes: "Simone’s white wine is perhaps their most compelling, if only because it’s the most difficult to compare to any other wine in the world. As with the estate’s other offerings, the white features a wide-ranging cast of characters: Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Muscat Blanc, Bourboulenc, Semillon, and Picpoul all make appearances. But the star of the show is the humble Clairette, comprising 80% of the blend and providing the truest glimpse into Simone’s terroir (according to Jean-Francois). A relatively low-acid, high-alcohol variety, Clairette rarely makes wines of real substance and nuance, instead providing structural support in, for example, the rich white wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. But here, on the high-altitude, well-drained north-facing slopes of Chateau Simone, it achieves unparalleled precision and minerality--aided no doubt by the extreme age of the vines (over 100 years in some instances) and the careful elevage employed by the Rougiers. Fermentation begins naturally, without the addition of any outside yeasts, and takes place in large, old foudres. (In fact, Jean-Francois has never yeasted a wine, stating that introducing artificial yeasts even once can unfavorably and irreversibly alter the chemistry of such an old and 'alive' cellar.) Malolactic fermentation is not purposefully blocked; it simply never occurs. The complexity and uniqueness of Simone Blanc is hard to express in words. There are traces of fresh hazelnuts and acacia honey in its aromas, which are exuberant without being insistent, and which defy one to tease out specific fruit flavors. There is also an unmistakable underlay of pine resin--a haunting manifestation of the hundreds of acres of pine forest which surround the appellation. On the palate, Simone Blanc is rich without being opulent, seamlessly integrated, and with a long, swelling finish reminiscent of great white Burgundy. A spine of acidity atypical for Provence keeps the wine lively, and allows it to evolve for decades."