2009 Cass Winery Rockin' One Blanc				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$32	@ the Winery	1/22/11
	A blend of 60% Roussanne and 40% Marsanne. A medium, lemon-gold colored wine with a bright nose of lemon creme, minerals, honey, apple and peach. The palate is medium-bodied, with a lush mouthfeel that is balanced by medium acidity that lifts the lengthy finish, countering the ripe fruitiness and keeping it refreshing despite its 15.8% abv. Though barrel-fermented and aged (for 10 months on the lees), there's no trace of oak in this wine just a smooth roundness that allows the fruit (apple, lime, lemon, peach) to shine. Additional notes of honey, minerals and sweet spice add depth. An elegant and intense wine that kept me heading to the glass for more. Though Roussanne is a wine that can age, because of the high abv, I wouldn't hold onto this bottle for more than a year.

2009 Central Coast Wine Warehouse "Emergence"				*
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$7	Trader Joe's	10/20/10
	A blend of 33% Grenache Blanc, 29% Marsanne, 25% Viognier & 13% Roussanne Love Rhone whites so picked this up on a whim from TJs. Paso is producing some stellar wines from these grape varities so I figured I couldn't really lose for the price. This is a pale, lemon-colored wine with medium aromatics of green apple, citrus, melon, peach and minerals. The palate is creamy with bright acidity and flavors that reflect the nose with additional notes of pear, chalk and banana on the medium finish. There's nothing particularly wrong with this wine, it's just too one-dimensional with a touch of heat (14.5% abv) as it warms up to really give it two stars. Only got a hint of the Viognier on the nose or palate, which if used more might have added a bit more depth to the wine. It had more elegance than many whites in this price range and did taste like a Rhone white, so it's a nice entry wine for those curious about this type of blend.

2008 Alta Colina Winery Claudia Cuvee				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$28	@ Winery	11/27/11
	A blend of 58% Marsanne, 21% Grenache Blanc and 21% Roussanne. A pale, clear, straw-colored wine with an aromatic nose of green apple, citrus, minerals and a hint of almonds. The palate is medium-bodied and creamy with medium acidity and flavors of lemon creme, melon, apple and honey along with notes of biscuit on the lingering finish. The wine was aged in 60% neutral French Oak and 40% stainless steel, which gives it a lush mouthfeel without feeling too heavy. A lovely blend that I wish had just a bit more depth of flavor to push it to the next level. Would drink within the next 6 months in order to really enjoy the lovely fruit. A well-crafted wine that delivers very good QPR from an up-and-coming winery that you need to watch out for, especially if you love Rhone wines. (14% abv)

2008 Barrel 27 "High on the Hog" Rhone Blend				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$15	@ Winery	11/25/09
	A blend of 39% Grenache Blanc, 36% Viognier, 20% Roussanne, 5% Marsanne with all the fruit coming from the Paso Robles appellation. A medium, straw/gold colored wine with an aromatic nose filled with flowers, stone fruit, honey, citrus and mineral notes. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied and ripe with flavors of candied lemon, melon, peach, sweet apple and notes of sweet spice and slate on the lush finish. Despite all the ripeness, this version is quite well-balanced with just the right amount of acidity to keep it from being cloying. Would go really well with Thai or Chinese food. By keeping the alcohol in check (14.2%), this wine is more elegant than the previous vintages. One of my favorite Rhone blends from Paso and a steal at this price. If you like full-bodied, fruity wines, which I do. Popped and poured, the wine held up well over several days and stayed true even as it warmed. Need to get more.

2008 Beckmen Vineyards Le Bec Blanc				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Santa Barbara, CA	$18	@ the Winery	1/6/11
	A blend of 45% Roussanne, 45% Marsanne and 10% Grenache Blanc. A pale, lemon-gold colored wine with a moderate nose of green apple, lemon creme, apricot, minerals and a hint of ginger. The palate is medium-bodied and round with low acidity and a bit all over the place when cold. As it warms up the flavors of apple, pineapple, lemon creme, apricot and beeswax united with a hint of nuts and honey on the medium-length finish. This is a wine that was much better with food which tempered the richness and brought the fruit forward. The second day it really came together with a lusher mouthfeel and more cohesion of the flavors. Tastes much richer than its 13.9% abv due to 50% malolactic fermentation and 11 months in used French oak. I would give this another 6 months in the bottle to allow the flavors to truly coalesce. Very good quality for the price.

2008 Caliza Winery Kissin' Cousins				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$28	@ Winery	9/28/11
	A blend of 47% Viognier, 30% Grenache Blanc and 23% Roussanne. A clear, pale, lemon-colored wine with a bright nose of citrus blossom, green fruit, peach and honey with hints of slate and vanilla. Delivers something different every time you swirl. The palate is medium-bodied and creamy with moderate acidity, though it's not flabby. Elegant and food friendly the flavors match the nose with additional notes of pear and lanolin with hints of lemon creme and fennel on the lengthy finish. Since it's a few years old, the wine is less about the Viognier, showing more traditional notes of the Roussanne (honey/pear/vanilla). Would have sworn the percentages were reversed. Lush and intense, yet still controlled, not yet showing any breakdown or heat from it's 14.75% abv. One of the best white Rhone Blends from the region. It could go another year, but there's really no need to wait.

2008 Cass Winery Rockin' One Blanc				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$32	@ the Winery	4/12/11
	A blend of 80% Roussanne and 20% Marsanne. A pale, lemon-straw colored wine with a moderate nose of lemon, chalk, pineapple and melon with hints of honey, apricot and almonds. The palate is medium-bodied, with refreshing acidity, good balance, intense fruit and a lingering finish. The flavors mirror the nose with additional notes of biscuit, ginger and vanilla. The wine is barrel-fermented and aged (for 10 months on the lees), giving the mouthfeel a nice lushness that balances the acidity. I was not a fan of this wine upon it's release a year ago. Being mostly Roussanne I guess it was in a muted state and just needed some time to come together, since it tastes comepletley different after a year in the bottle. Was going to give this bottle away, but now I wish I had another. Unlike the current 09 release, this one comes in at only 14.7% abv and definitely has some time to go in the bottle. Elegant, intense and fresh. Still alot to pay for a white wine, but this one is now worth it. Had it with Garlic Herb Chicken and Roasted Cauliflower with Couscous and Fennel. Was one of best pairings in a long time.

2008 Chateau de Campuget Tradition Blanc				*
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Costières de Nimes, France	$13	The Green Spot	9/19/10
	A blend of 60% Roussanne, 30% Grenache Blanc and 10% Marsanne. A water-white, straw-colored wine with a mild nose of green apple, citrus fruit and minerals. The palate is light-bodied with bright acidity and a sort of oily texture with flavors of apple, lemon, wet stone and melon on the short finish. I really wanted/expected to like this wine, but, while drinkable, it just wasn't very interesting. Been trying to give French Rhone blends a fair shake, but this one won't convince many to jump on their bandwagon. Drink now, it won't be getting any better. (13%abv)

2008 Halter Ranch Cotes de Paso Blanc				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$24	@ the Winery	1/24/10
	Blend of 64% Roussanne, 32% Marsanne, 4% Viognier A pale, lemon-colored wine with bright aromas of lemon, stone and green fruit with notes of minerals and nutmeg, which was super strong when the wine was cold, but integrated more as it warmed. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with round flavors of lemon, golden apple, melon and peach with notes of honey, nutmeg and vanilla on the creamy finish. Though very fruit-forward the wine is well-balanced with vibrant acidity, showing more depth and flavor as it opened up. Though interesting and well-crafted, I wanted to like this wine more than I did, especially for the price. Perhaps a bit more time in the bottle will help it to integrate more and thus push it to the 3-star level, though it's perfectly enjoyable now.

2008 Kaena Hapa Blanc				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Santa Barbara, CA	$25	@ the Winery	7/21/10
	A blend of 60% Grenache Blanc and 40% Roussanne. A pale, lemon-yellow-colored wine with a bright nose of green apple, honeydew melon, lemon, honey, pear and a hint of flowers and spice. The palate is medium-bodied with a lush mouthfeel, yet medium acidity to keep the wine in balance. The flavors are intense and mirror the nose with a lengthy, almond-filled finish. At 14% abv, this vintage is not as overtly fruity as the last as it has more GB which adds a bit more restraint and elegance to the blend. This combination of varietals seems to be a popular choice these days along the Central Coast and it makes for a powerful and complex white wine that goes really well with food. Don't drink this one too cold or you'll miss all the aromas and fruit. (125 cases)

2008 Kukkula Winery Vaalea				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$18	@ the Winery	12/13/10
	A blend of 50% Viognier and 50% Roussanne. A clear, pale, lemon-colored wine with a bright nose of citrus, honeysuckle, peach, tropical fruits and a hint of almonds. The palate is light-medium-bodied with crisp acidity and flavors of pear, lemon creme, melon, peach, banana and notes of honey and spice on the lengthy finish. This is an elegant, intense wine that was perfectly balanced and really showed its depth when it warmed up a bit. By restraining malolactic fermentation, the fruit (sourced from Derby Vineyard) is showcased while still retaining enough acidity to keep it from being flabby. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better Rhone blend from anywhere at this price. While drinking wonderfully now, this wine has plenty of life left and could easily go another year in the bottle, though there's no reason to wait. Wish I had bought two. (13.9% abv)

2008 Mas Neuf Paradox Blanc				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Costières de Nimes, France	$9	TopLine Wine	5/25/10
	A blend of 65% Grenache Blanc and 35% Roussanne. A pale, lemon-yellow colored wine with a moderate nose of flowers, citrus and apple with hints of peach and minerals. The palate is medium-bodied with refreshing acidity and flavors that mirror the nose with lemon-creme and ripe apple dominating with the minerals taking over the medium finish. Was quite shut down when cold, so don't chill it too much. Not really a wine that you'll remember, but it's nicely crafted for the price.

2008 McPrice Myers Terre Blanc				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$28	@ the Winery	5/27/11
	Blend of 50% Viognier, 38% Roussanne and 12% Grenache Blanc A pale, lemon-colored wine with bright aromas of citrus and stone fruit, flowers, slate and sweet spice with hints of yeast and honey. The palate is medium-full bodied and creamy with medium acidity and quite a bit of heat on the medium-length finish. The grapes were whole cluster pressed and aged for seven months in 100% neutral French oak with occasional lees stirring. The intense and ripe flavors of lemon creme, peach, pear, honey and chalk hide the 15.4% abv well until you swallow and then the alcohol bites back. Was more balanced and better integrated last year when I purchased the wine and had I known the abv I would have drunk it right away. McPrice Myers specializes in bold wines, which I like, but there is a downfall to that style as we learned with this bottle. If you've got it drink it now before it's really too late.

2008 Andre Perret Saint Joseph Blanc				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Rhone Valley, France	$32	Woodland Hills Wine	2/5/10
	A blend of 50% Roussanne and 50% Marsanne. A surprisingly pale, lemon-colored wine with a initially subtle nose of citrus, cream, melon and stone fruit with hints of yeast and minerals. The palate was medium-bodied with well-balanced acidity and a creamy mouthfeel due to its aging a year in 20% new oak. The flavors were of lemon, peach and pear along with hints of honey and toast on the medium-length finish. Not as intense as many New World blends, but a wine that got more intriguing as it warmed up. While it could age, it's certainly ready to go now. A well-crafted wine that I wanted to like more, especially at this price point. Just not enough persistance of flavor for me. Others may like its subtle elegance. (13.5% abv)

2008 Sans Liege Cotes-du-Coast				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$24	@ Wally's Wines	8/2/10
	A blend of 41% Viognier, 40% Roussanne and 19% Marsanne. An intense, medium-gold colored wine with a bright nose of green fruit, honey, almonds, pineapple, melon and a hint of flowers. The palate is medium-full-bodied with a round and creamy texture, along with flavors of apricot, mango, melon, pear, honey, minerals and sweet spice on the lengthy finish. This is a big wine that has just enough acidity to keep from being flabby and alcoholic, which can't have been easy since it comes in at 15.4% abv. It's time in oak (all French, 20% 1-year-old, 80% neutral) gives the wine a lush mouthfeel that really lingers. Sort of Old World in style with a punch of ripe fruit. A very well-made and intriguing wine for the price. (250 cases)

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