Ferraton Pere & Fils, Saint-Joseph, La Source Blanc

Oakier than expected, kinda covers up some of the finer Marsanne notes. Not bad, and good with food. But not quite what makes Rhone Marsanne special.

This wine is an inviting gold in the glass, with a pronounced nose of crisp , iced pears and apples, hints of white flowers and honey, creamy lemon, quinine and marzipan. The mouth feel is full and smooth , without any oiliness, acidity is low, with flavours of bitter ,saline nuts and marzipan. A very pleasant and smooth rendition of Marsanne, which accompanies food very well, but is very much more of an acquired taste when drunk on its own.

Nose rather closed (apple, almond), on the palate rich and full bodied, slightly bitter aftertaste, not completely balanced, 88-89. Needs time?

13,5% d'alcool, 100% Marsanne Oeil : paille foncée, viscosité modérée à forte Nez : projection de forte intensité, amande verte, boisé, frais, chair d'agrumes, carambole, exotique, beurré, minéral, musqué, pain d'épice, floral Bouche : sec, gras, acidité rafraîchissante à faible, forte amertume... quasi-désagréable, beaucoup de matière, rétro d'amande verte, boisée, chair d'agrume (amertume), de carambole, écorce d'ananas Conclusion : beaucoup de matière, un style ambitieux, mais débalancé par trop (beaucoup) d'amertume et un manque d'acidité pour faire vibrer l'ensemble Note …

Customer is the Critic! (Farpointe Cellar) : The nose had peaches, floral notes, stone, and beeswax. The palate was crisp and clean, and had stone, peach, and floral notes.

100% marsanne. A small minority of the wine is aged in oak, but the majority remains in stainless steel tanks. The nose is rather slight and just a bit unexciting. Fine but uninteresting on the palate. Maybe this needs a few years of age.