Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Roussanne 2010, Monarch Mine Vineyard, Sierra Foothills, California

Tasting Note: Yellow to golden in color this roussanne has a nose of buttery oaky vanilla with the fruit taking a back seat to the oak.

On the palate the light-bodied wine is medium plus in tannin with a medium finish.

There are also some citrus and mid-palate cardamom notes.

Bottle Note: This exotic grape variety from the northern Rhône valley and the Alps has mysteriously found another home in the granitic soils of the Sierra Nevada Foothills. We rely on traditional methods and spare no expense in producing this wine: whole-cluster pressing, barrel fermentation, and sur lie aging. Roussanne’s elusive aromas are resiny and honeyed with overtones of alpine wildflowers. The color is golden. Its flavors are dry, rich, expansive and magnificent. Bill and Jane Easton