The Texas Wine Club introduced us to Tatum Cellars and their 2019 Roussanne. The card that accompanied the wine features the following description:
Roussanne is one of the main white grapes of the Rhone Valley in France. With the warm Texas climate, this roussanne has hints of honey, stone fruit, and pear. Bright floral aromas and baked bread are accompanied by beeswax, spice and yellow flowers. Pairs very well with buttery meats and sauces.
This Roussanne is 100% Texas High Plains AVA grown at La Pradera Vineyards in Brownfield, Texas.
It has a lovely golden color with an initial smell of warm butter – a bit like a chardonnay but more acidic. It was “hard” on the tongue, so more body than expected, but was very savory instead of sweet. I got a lingering herb finish while my husband got grass and overripe pear.
The salmon sweetened the wine and killed the acid (but that could be the butter herb sauce too). The potatoes brought out the fruit flavor, while the green beans (also with a butter herb sauce) made it taste like water.
Final Thoughts
I like this one better slightly warm. While my notes say that food makes it taste like a Chardonnay, that’s not an insult. Given that many Texans are new to the concept of Roussanne, being able to say “it’s like a chardonnay” makes the wine more approachable.
And given that we kept reaching to refill the glass, even after finishing dinner – it’s probably good we only had one bottle. As for a rating – this is more of a feeling wine than a day of the week – it’s a wine that you drink while sitting on the beach watching the waves. (The minerality of the wine matches the smell of the ocean.) But I’d give it a Wednesday, since that’s the night I drunk it. Although, it’s an impress your date type wine.
You can get this from Tatum Cellars (here), but with only 95 cases produced, you’ll need to order soon. Or check it out at the Texas Wine Club (here) and check out their full club offering.
[…] be paired with grilled pineapple. I’ve reviewed the Roussanne before, and you can read it here. Having it in the tasting room, away from food – I’d still rate it a […]