2015 Vacqueyras La Galejade, Domaine la Monardiere

Galéjade is a beautifully expressive white wine from Vacqueyras crafted from organically grown grapes (Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Clairette Blanche).  The 25-year-old vines thrive in the garrigue and sandy loam soils and are harvested by hand and fermented with native yeasts.  The wine undergoes 11 months of aging without racking, resulting in a full-bodied wine that pairs excellently with white meats, fish, and cheeses.  It can be enjoyed young or aged for a decade to gain greater aromatic complexity.

"(raised in oak demi-muids, one-third of them new) Bright straw-yellow. A wild, complex and somewhat volatile bouquet evokes dried pear, peach pit, beeswax, toasted nuts and vanilla. Smells like something from the Jura. Supple and broad on the palate, offering sappy orchard and pit fruit flavors along with subtle herb, honey and lemon pith flourishes. Closes chewy, smoky and long; the vanilla and pit fruit notes hang on with strong tenacity."  Josh Raynolds, Vinous.com, April 2016