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Chateau Simone, Palette Blanc, 2021

White Wine from Provence, France
by Chateau Simone
$72.99
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Palette is one of France's smallest and most singular appellations, just over forty hectares near Aix-en-Provence, about half of it Chateau Simone, which means this wine has no real neighbors and no peers to be measured against. The Rougier family has owned the estate since 1830, inheriting sixteenth-century cellars carved by Carmelite monks, and the vines grow in a north-facing amphitheater ringed by pine forest on thin soil over limestone bedrock, cooler and slower to ripen than anywhere else in the south. The white is built on Clairette at around 80%, filled out with Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Ugni Blanc and a touch of Muscat, fermented with ambient yeasts and aged some two years in old foudres and small barrels. Young, as this 2021 is, it is brisk and taut, all pine resin, white flowers and stony minerality, and it needs a decant or a big glass to open; with a decade in the cellar it turns toward hazelnut, dried apricot and honeyed depth, closer in spirit to fine white Burgundy than to anything else in Provence. Never introduced to cultured yeast, farmed organically for generations and done entirely by hand, it remains a genuine discovery.

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Antonio Galloni

92 points

"Pale silvery in hue, the bouquet of the 2021 Château Simone Blanc is glorious and captivating, with beautifully delineated scents of wax resin, pine forest and orange blossom. The palate displays exquisite balance, with just the faintest oxidation. Light smoky traits emerge with time, hints of bitter lemon mixing with almond towards the dry finish that urges you back for another sip. Knowing first-hand how the whites from this unique estate can repay cellaring, this will give up to 20 years’ drinking pleasure." —Neal Martin

Decanter

95 points

"Palette, a 40ha enclave within Coteaux d’Aix, was originally created by Jean Rougier of Château Simone. Almost 200 years on, the family still runs the estate, which provides a snapshot of old Provence character: vineyards include many old and experimental varieties planted around the time of phylloxera. Soils consist largely of limestone scree with clays, pebbles and gravels. 80% Clairette blended with 10% Grenache Blanc and small portions of Bourboulenc, Ugni Blanc and Muscat fermented in small foudres where it rests for eight months before ageing for a year in oak barriques. Elizabeth Gabay MW: Rich, buttery aromas. Concentrated saline and citrus acidity, a touch of margarita lime and salt. Acidity has an almost mouth puckering dryness on the finish after the ripe fruit. Natasha Hughes MW: Camomile, orange blossom, oolong tea and subtle oak spice. Nutty development. Balance of primary and tertiary characters. Bright acidity and a long finish. Joanna Simon: Intense, honeyed citrus fruit wrapped in creamy oak. There’s plenty of power and weight, but the acidity provides balance. Layered, evolved and complex, but just a little heavy and oaky."

More about

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Clairette , Grenache Blanc

  • Vintage

    2021

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Organic

  • Sweetness

    Dry

  • Body

    Medium Bodied

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Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Roast chicken with herbs, bouillabaisse or grilled whole fish with fennel, veal blanquette, or a Comte and walnut plate. It brings flavors out of the food as much as the other way round.

Tasting Profile

Dry, medium to full-bodied and textural, with pine resin, white flowers, citrus peel and crushed stone. Firm acidity, a slightly waxy palate, and a long mineral finish that will grow nuttier and more honeyed with age.

Nikolaihof is a trailblazing traditionalist: Biodynamic since 1971, its written winemaking history goes all the way back the monks who farmed there in the 5th Century (no, there’s no missing digit there). Today the family still practices an integrated farming like the monks did, involving farms without herbicides, pesticides or artificial sprays, making the wine with natural fermentations and ancient Austrian oak in their 700 year old cellar.