INSIDER'S PICK: 2015 DOMAINE DE LA JANASSE COTES DU RHONE BLANC (Wine Advocate 92points) $19.99

As we start to transition from Summer to Fall, wine tastes and selections transition as well. In early Spring we start to see the lighter bodied white wines appear, the ones that taste the best when freshest and take the least amount of time for the wineries to prepare. Now as we go into the cooler months we start to see wines that take a little bit more time to ferment and construct arrive, and are also the ones with a little more oomph and body to them to stand up to heartier cool weather dishes. Not only are there great new wines arriving, but there are excellent deals to be found on any lingering bits and pieces from the previous vintage. Even if it is only a small amount left, it's better for the importers/distributors to get the older vintage out before the new one arrives to conserve space and any confusion. Year in and year out this bottling from one of the Rhone's best producers across all styles and price ranges is a very solid deal. Being able to offer up this at the end of the vintage for under $20 is almost stealing.

Primarily Grenache Blanc backed by Clairette and Bourbolenc and a splash of Viognier, the aromas are full of rich citrus and white fruits, as well as a nice pop of wild flowers (a little Viognier goes a long way). There is no oak aging as there is for higher end Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blancs, but a touch of buttery creaminess sits in among the fruit, enough to potentially attract a more adventurous Chardonnay drinker. The palate is a great blend of minerality and viscosity, round and mouth-filling yet still full of tangy fruit and melon rind-like textures. Though it isn't meant to age for decades, an extra year in the bottle has only brought out the underlying complexity, taking some of the immediate youthful fruitiness out and exposing the deeper, drier fruit character. A substantial wine for a not-at-all-substantial price.

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