Domaine Blachon Saint-Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers Cuvee Tradition 2018

Normally $40! Domaine Blachon is a Saint-Joseph benchmark since before WW1, and the fifth generation is making its finest wines ever! Wonderful freshness with deep, complex, mouthcoating flavors in this bottling...amazing price!

We’re extremely picky when it comes to Rhone whites in general, and MAN did this hit all the sweet spots for us! Two classic varietals at play here – 95% marsanne and 5% roussanne. Where one lacks, the other shines, and vice versa. It’s a familiar blend that has been a standard for centuries: marsanne makes a structured, full-bodied wine with a waxy texture, but lacks aromatic intensity, where roussanne is light on texture but provides lovely aromas of pear, honeysuckle, with some herbal qualities.

We love the pure freshness and complexity in this cuvee, fermented in concrete and then just a short elevage in large old barrels. Get ready! Sliced toasted almonds, lavender honey, dried apricot, rich and layered and terrifically long and heady. Wow! Pour me another!

PAIRING IDEAS: You HAVE to have shellfish here, the richer the better! Fresh sweet shrimp, lobster, scallops and rich fish like sea bass, too. You’ll want a butter sauce to dip or pour over, and, at our house, fried potatoes!

MUSIC SUGGESTIONS: We like the unfussy tunes and profoundly expressive, diverse voice of Ray LaMontagne for this wine -- puts us in a happy, mellow, peaceful mood!