Vintage Character Cristia Collection IGP Méditerranée Rolle 2022 is a white from IGP Méditerranée, France, made from Rolle. A mild, exceptionally dry winter and spring set up the Rhône's hot 2022 season; vine development ran roughly three weeks early in many sectors. Drought made harvest timing important, but mid-August and September rain helped grapes continue ripening. The year's whites could show generous aroma and flesh while retaining useful freshness. That balance matters for Cristia Collection's Viognier-led white and northern Syrah, neither of which is a simple hot-year profile.
Tasting Profile & Food Pairing Lemon, white peach and fresh herbs give Rolle a clear Mediterranean nose. The dry palate is medium-light to medium bodied, with a rounded fruit middle, lively citrus acidity and a clean, slightly saline finish. Grilled fish, shellfish and vegetable dishes with olive oil suit its modest weight. The wine is fermented cool with native yeasts and kept six months on fine lees in tank, which preserves fruit and adds a little texture. It is a single-grape Rolle, also known as Vermentino, rather than an oaky white or an aromatic Viognier blend.
Winery Background Rolle is another name for Vermentino, a Mediterranean white variety that can retain a herbal and citrus character in warm conditions. This single-variety IGP Méditerranée sits apart from the family's appellation wines. The Grangeons work from Courthézon; Etienne began the estate in the 1950s, and Alain, Baptiste and Dominique broadened its selection work.