Truchard’s vineyards are on the outskirts of Napa on north side of Highway 12. Called the “Banana Belt” of Carneros as it’s noticeably warmer than just 2 miles south where bay influence is more consistent. The warmer weather makes for a greater variety of grapes: Truchard has 11 varieties planted, including 3 acres (out of 200 acres planted) of Roussanne.
The 2018 Truchard Roussanne smells and tastes of coriander, white pepper, dried wildflowers, fresh pears and dried mangos. Medium/high acidity and a red wine-like structure make this baby one to let rest a while for full enjoyment. While some vintages drink like a champ upon release, the 2018 is keeping the cards close to its vest, as it were. I look into the crystal ball as I enjoy it today, fall equinox 2019. Buy a few bottles and start drinking it a year from now. At $28/bottle, it’s a reasonable investment.
“We love the white Rhone varieties and tasted a lot of them at the Hospices du Rhone one year. We liked the Roussanne the most,” Joanne Truchard explained. They used Tablas Creek Roussanne cuttings in their 1998 planting.
This is a DDWA “Awesome Value.” See all my Hall of Fame and Awesome Value wines on my Best of the Best Value list.