Lorient 2021 Saint-Peray

Though Laure and Dimitri do work a total of 1.5 hectares of Syrah in Cornas and Saint-Joseph, their home in Saint-Peray is where they focus their energy, with 4 hectares of vines of Roussanne and Marsanne that they planted at 500m altitude, overlooking the Rhone Valley. Their plantings are roughly 70/30 to Roussanne and Marsanne, and this, the first white they produced, is reflective of that ratio. A beautifully dense white, with notes of lemon verbena and stone fruits on the nose, medium-weight with great balance and a mineral core that keeps the Roussanne's softer acidity in check. This is a white to serve at cellar temp, not too cold, as the delicate mouthfeel and subtle aromatics are best expressed this way. A fantastic example of the charm of Northern Rhone whites. Grapes are harvested by hand carefully and transferred to the chai within 30 minutes of pick, and pressed directly to preserve freshness. Juice is put in stainless steel tanks and cold-settled to avoid excessively heavy lees, then fermentation is in 228 and 400L barrels, accompanied by a peid de cuve that they started 10 days before harvest directly from the same parcel. After aging in barrel, the wine is assembled in tank, usually in the Spring, for additional aging before bottling. -EL