INSIDER'S PICK: 2020 YVES CUILLERON MARSANNE IGP COLLINES RHODONIENNES 'LES VIGNES d'a COTE' $22.99

Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We will be returning to doing just the one wine on Thursdays and Fridays until further notice. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.

Marsanne is part of the white grape holy trinity in the Northern Rhone alongside Roussanne and Viognier, primarily looked at as the workhorse grape behind the two show ponies. Viognier gets featured more often as a solo variety (most famously in Condrieu), while Roussanne tends to get top billing for its uniquely haunting and exotic aromas that brings such fame to the white wines of Hermitage, St. Joseph, and certain famous examples in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Marsanne is very popular to grow because it is naturally fuller bodied and easier to grow than the other two, but tends to not age quite as well so it doesn't get featured in the decades old wines that get so famously exalted in poems and novels. Better winemaking technology in recent decades have helped stem many of those aging problems, and in the hands of outstanding producers like Yves Cuilleron they can be quite outstanding. Clean ripe aromas of white fruits and citrus skin with a touch of what is often described as an almond note, which gets more pronounced as the wine airs out. The texture is fairly full and viscous in the mouth with lots of cool acidity and natural tannins giving lots of lengthy dryness to the fruit. The vineyard this wine comes from falls just a handful of meters from the borders of Condrieu and St. Joseph, and really provides loads of value. A terrific food wine with richer seafood and poultry dishes, especially for those that want a Chardonnay alternative that plays with more exotic ingredients.  

---