Ledgewood Creek Winery & Vineyards

Rousanne is a tricky and little-understood grape variety from the Rhône Valley that can be the support base for white Rhône blends made in the United States.

As a lead grape, however, it has even less recognition, and that’s almost precisely why wine maker Larry Langbehn, long-time Napa Valley wine maker, decided to make this wine as a varietal and make it the way he did.

Keeping the wine as fresh and as fruit-lively as possible, Langbehn extracted delicate dried pears and figs from the grape that are evident in the aroma, and then he added in 15% Viognier to give the wine one additional note of florality.

The wine is dry and has no oak sticking out of it, so the result is a succulent and delicately complex white wine that delivers a certain mild richness on the tongue that works nicely with seafood.

The fact that Suisun Valley is so little known as a fine wine-growing region, and that Ledgewood Creek has no worldwide reputation for high quality wines, has kept the price for this wine to an absurd under-$13 price point. It’s a startlingly good value.

Reviewed November 24, 2006 by Dan Berger.