2021 Chateau Simone Palette Blanc

Château Simone holds a virtual monopoly on the Palette appellation in the hills south of Aix-en-Provence, where the Rougier family has crafted wine for nearly 200 years. The Palette Blanc is predominantly Clairette blended with Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, and minor amounts of Bourboulenc, Muscat Blanc, Picpoul, Furmint, and Semillon. Grapes from old vines on limestone soils are hand-harvested, de-stemmed, and lightly pressed before native yeast fermentation in wooden vats for two to three weeks. The wine ages one year in old foudres followed by another year in predominantly neutral oak barrels without lees stirring, then further bottle-ages before release. This traditional process yields a deeply textured white wine with exceptional aging potential.