When Yannick Rousseau came to California to work as an
assistant winemaker at Newton Vineyards in Napa, he did not intend to spend a
lot of time here. His roots go deep
into Gascony, in southwest France. He
recalls having his first taste of wine at the age of five. It was a homemade wine from Pepé, his
grandfather. This introduction to wine
sparked a love affair with the grape that has never waned.
After earning his degree in enology in France, he was
curious about California. He worked as
an assistant winemaker at Newton Vineyards in Napa, and spent six years as the
winemaker at Chateau Potelle, also in Napa, and fell in love with high
elevation mountain vineyards. He also
fell in love with Susan, a woman from Texas who shared Yannick’s passion for wine.
In 2008, they started their own winery, Y. Rousseau. The winery is not a show place. It is one of Napa’s urban wineries, located
in an industrial work space in the city of Napa. The winery is all about the wine, not the
architecture. The husband and wife source top vineyards for their Chardonnay,
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tannat.
And the wines are first rate, all in the four and five star range. But
what I want to talk about today is the Rosé of Tannat and the Colombard.
First, the Colombard.
The wine is made from dry farmed old vines from the Russian River
Valley. It was the first wine Yannick and Susan made when they founded their
winery in 2008.
Yannick shows what can be done with Colombard when the
vineyard is right and the winemaker pays attention. The 2015 bottling opens with a rich aroma of
peaches with a slice of pear. There is a
biting minerality balancing the fruit, which invites another glass. The finish is long, with echoes of the
opening fruit. Priced at $20, it’s a
real find.
I’ve been tasting (and drinking) a lot of rosé lately. More
about that another time but (spoiler alert) it does involve a book to be
published in 2017. Yannick’s Tannat rosé
is a winner. It is made from Solano
County grapes grown especially for rosé The color is a lovely pale salmon, The
nose is all about strawberries and watermelon with a touch of lime zest. On the palate, the opening aromas are picked
up with an added herbal note and a more pronounced lime/citrus flavor and a
pinch of white pepper. The price is $24.
Y. Rousseau wines are in limited production so may be hard
to find. Check the winery website for
availability.
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Food in books: blackberry
