California’s Central Coast is one of the few places in the U.S. that has multiple producers of Rhône-style white blends, and few do them as well as Guillaume Fabre, who came to the region from the Languedoc with a way stop in Bordeaux. This one is a Roussanne-dominated (80%) blend with 16% Viognier and 4% Grenache Blanc. Of a somewhat-lean and medium body, it has flavors of quince and crab apples with lots of metallic minerality, light tannins and a waft of cloves in the finish.
Clos Solène, Paso Robles (Central Coast, California) 2022
By Roger Morris