The Rolle grape variety

IN today's podcast we take a look at the Rolle grape variety found in the south of France and Corsica.

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Play the short piece about Rolle grape variety.

Below is a translation of the show.

Rolle

Dear wine lovers,
There is a white grape variety that is not very famous but which would deserve a better notoriety: Rolle. Maybe it is because it has different names (it is Vermentinu in Corsica) or just because it is a small production amount.

Mostly located in East Provence, Corsica and North West of Italy (under the name Vermentino), it behaves well with large temperature variations. In France, the Bellet appellation--which is a tiny "terroir" up on the hillsides of Nice--produces most of it with also some vineyards in the countryside of the high Var area.

Its natural acidity makes a very nice fresh fruit when it is young and permits the wines to age marvelously, evolving to honey flavors and also permitting it to be partly barrel vinified, especially in Bellet.

Château Miraval, a paradise Estate lost in the highest parts of Provence, Château de Bellet and Clos d'Alzetto which is the highest altitude vineyard in Corsica (located near Ajaccio) are elaborating 3 different rolle expressions which are all really worth trying.

Marry this wine with a seabream* or seabass fish cooked on the barbeque. Prepare a simple lemon olive oil sauce with it and you will almost feel like you are on the Mediterranean having lunch on a white sand beach...

Cheers.

*seabream = dorade

Jean-Marc Espinasse is involved in the wine making of Domaine du Banneret and distributes a portfolio of French wines in the US and provides wine education courses.