Jean-Baptiste Souillard Roussanne 2020

Jean-Baptiste Souillard Roussanne comes from a steep granite-laced hillside at 450 metres at Sanilhac, near the mouth of the Ardèche gorge.

The vineyard is east-facing, planted in the early 1970s and again in the 2000s, and its poor, stony grès — sandstone — soils are shot through with granite. Souillard works just 0.4 hectares here and draws his Viognier from the same site, which he describes as a magic one. Altitude is the reason: Roussanne is his last variety to ripen and can hang into October, giving moderate alcohol without the loss of acidity that usually accompanies a late pick in the south. The fruit for this bottling came in on 26 September, the delay adding depth. After partial crushing the grapes were fermented with wild yeasts and the wine aged twelve months in older oak barrels. A short maceration and a carefully managed press cycle drew out more grip than white wine from this latitude generally shows, which makes it a food wine first.

Drinking now and good for four or five years. Serve at 10-12°C with roast chicken, pork with fennel or a washed-rind cheese.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.