This is an ambitious wine, given its oaky bouquet that boasts scents of melted butter and vanilla extract. The moderately viscous palate seems like a guilty pleasure. This is clearly a wine from a sunshine-fueled place, with medium acidity. There’s not a lot of flavor dimension here, despite this being a blend of rather aromatic varieties—Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier. The modest finish doesn’t do much to entice one to age this, but it is approachable now and should remain enjoyable through 2017.

— Published (1/11/2016)