Vintage Character Cristia Collection IGP Méditerranée Rolle 2023 is a white from IGP Méditerranée, France, made from Rolle. After a historically dry winter, the south-eastern French wine belt saw much wetter spring weather in 2023, with some storms, before a warm late summer. Day-to-night temperature differences helped vineyards retain freshness as fruit matured. An IGP Méditerranée wine can come from a broad zone, so one commune's weather does not describe every Rolle parcel. The vintage's shape is the shift from a dry winter to spring replenishment and warm finishing conditions. For this white, citrus definition and acidity matter as much as sun-fed fruit weight.
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.