2013 Lillian Roussanne

(made with fruit grown in the Stolpman vineyard, in Ballard Canyon) Limpid yellow-gold. A potent, highly complex bouquet evokes dried pineapple, poached pear, melon, peach pit, honey and beeswax, along with a hint of fennel in the background. Densely packed but lively as well, offering palate-staining tropical and pit fruit flavors that are braced by bitter pear skin, lemon pith and quinine nuances. One moment this wine appears rich and the next it comes off firm and minerally, which makes it an extremely flexible wine with food. The mineral- and floral-tinged finish lingers with outstanding tenacity, leaving behind poached pear, sweet butter, Chartreuse Jaune and lemon curd notes. I'd serve this wild wine with old-school quenelles de brochet in sauce Nantua or sauce américaine , or just lobster or crab bisque if my kitchen staff had a rare day off.