Across the Rhone River, out of the Vaucluse Region, in the Gard, is the small village of Lirac, where there are about thirty domaines producing some remarkable wines that rival their more well known cousins from Chateauneuf de Pape. I had the very good fortune of visiting with Marine Rousell, at Domaine de Joncier, a fiery and courageous winemaker, who took over her father's vineyard in 1989. Marine approaches her work with an artist's attitude and a craftsman's precision. Her wines bespeak the intersection of the wildness of nature and the finesse of an artist's hand. Marine is busy with harvest like everyone else right now to finish harvesting the grapes as they are ready, and like everyone I have spoken to, she is pleased with the current vintage. The fruit is beautiful, the weather has been good for the harvest, a little rain, but it is okay, the mistral is keeping the grapes free of rot, but most of all the fruit tastes great and the skins are not too tannic. This seems to be a vintage for finesse. At the time of my visit, now a few days ago, she had picked the majority of her grapes, but still had some work to do. While she prepared a few last minute things, she suggested I take a short walk in the village of Tavel, where she lives and makes her wine.

It was a beautiful day, sunny with the mistral, and I enjoyed seeing some community gardens, and I came out upon a open water source that is a communal washing area where a local women washed her rugs. I felt a bit thrown back in time, but I also felt like someone had let me behind the curtain, so to speak. To be given a local's view of any place is always a treat because you feel a connection that a typical visit does not offer. I sat and watched that woman wash her rugs for a few minutes, and what I sensed was different pace and a certain fortitude, which later I realized are present in the wines of the region. I think culture is as much part of terroir as is climate and soil.

Yes, of course, soil and climate important, but this trip has taught me that to truly understand a wine, you need to know all parts of the place from whence it comes, and people and their culture is an enormous part of that. The soil of course directly effects the flavor, and Marine has a special affinity for the soil in Lirac.

The vineyard is flatter that those in CdP, but the land, the soil is to, my eye, the same. There is a layer of rocks on top of the soil, that completely covers any sign of soil underneath, and those rocks, just like those I showed you from Vieux Telegraph, were brought by a glacier, smoothed by water, and vary in size from a softball to a nerf football (do those still exist, by the way?) Anyway, you get the point, they are big, hard to walk on, difficult to harvest in, generally a pain, but necessary to get the fruit that they get. Marine loves these rocks. She told me as much as she stooped down, turned some rocks to show me the variation in size and color, and then ran her had over the rock to illustrate how perfectly smoothed by nature the rocks are. I was honored when she carefully selected one for me to bring home. It will have a special spot in the shop when I return.

Her way of honoring the rocks and nature, more generally, is to farm biodynamically, but she describes it less in terms of rigid laws of nature or a science of wine making, but rather as being in union with nature and the knowledge and good intuition of the wine maker paired with a care of the earth that she uses to make her wine. It is a costly decision, and those who do it understand the expense involved, but they are compelled by integrity.

After spending just an hour walking in her vineyards, I felt a sense of Marine because she is so open, genuinely interested in sharing of herself, her wines, and her lifestyle. That warmth is so apparent in her wines, and it something that I cannot name about the region, but it is what draws me here...

Okay, I will admit it, you probably find it surprising that I am spending time on whites, but I am not alone in my admiration of the interesting whites from this souther Rhone region. Fair enough, it the reds for which they are known, but each one of the wine makers that I have visited make about 5% white, and they are worth paying attention to. In fact, in my humble opinion, these whites should have a more prominent position on the world wine stage. They are complex, full bodied, layered, and unique: food whites that can stand up to very rich meals. It does not hurt that I have been sampling a wide variety of the 2001 vintage, which is described as every wine maker with whom I have met over the last two plus weeks, as a spectacular vintage in both quality and quantity, complexity and drinkability. (And, I am learning, these don't always come together.)

The grapes in the white Rhones: Bourboulanc, which adds body and acidity, and it seems that they all use it in a some substantial percentage.

Grenache Blanc, which is like its red counter part the majority of what is grown here in the region, and it, too, adds body, acidity, but also alcohol because of its higher sugar content and a touch of spice. The spice, for me, is different in the white than the red, I get more anise and ginger, a fresher sort of spice.

Roussane, which adds aroma, honey notes, and a bit of a nuttiness...and by the way drinks fabulously by itself in Cullerion's single varietal from the Norther Rhone...

Clairette, which provides a fruitiness, a light quality of freshness and acidity, with a touch of citrus, which often leans toward the pith more than then pulp. The pith, by the way, is the spongy, white membrane that holds the delicious part of the out citrus fruit together. In fact, it is the part we discard, but it is ideal in wine, as opposed to the the fleshy, pulp which is much better served at breakfast, or with a good part of sparkling white at brunch. The pith is a combination of citrus tartness, creamy texture, and a bit of bitter. This word is off putting, but really we like it when it is combined in proper proportion with other flavors, like sweet, sour, and acid: oh, all the components of wine, right!

And, in smaller quantities Picpoul, for freshness, Viognier, which adds body, texture, and honey notes, and Ugni blanc, which seems to be losing popularity here in the region, though it is not clear to me why (yes, learning a lot, but still so much to learn).

In combination these whites often have a bracing acidity balanced with substantial body and fruit, soft honey and herbal notes, the garrgigue, of course, but also a freshness-- the paradoxical balance of seemingly oppositional characteristics, like the mistral. They are designed for food, so don't try this as a sipping wine before dinner because you will likely be disappointed. That said, it need not be a complicated dinner.

I enjoyed the Domaine Palon 2011 Vacqueyras Blanc with a lovely plate of crudité and bread, of course. The wine was particularly good with the olives. The salt and intensity of that cured olive brought out the gentle fruit and waxy texture of the wine.

The Palon is delicious, but won't be in the states for a little while--I will work on that one!

For now, I have a few great options: 2011 Vieille Julliene Cotes du Rhone Blanc $30, this is stunning and a great value. No surprise from the Chateauneuf maker. 2011 Domaine Citadelle Cotes du Rhone Blanc $15, a nice somewhat lighter style, would work as an aperitif. 2010 Gourts de Mautens, Blanc, $75, this one is truly special. Jerome has introduced some of the traditional white varietals back into his vineyard, and he is making a remarkable white that is elegant and complex, with notes of garrigue, honey, apples, apricots...though a very small amount, and I am working on getting a little...will point it out when it comes. I tasted the 2012 today, only in fermentation of 12 days, and it already tastes amazing! 2010 Vieux Telegraph, Chateauneuf de Pape, $75, another remarkable white. This CdP is complex, weighty, but still has finesse and elegance, and that bracing acidity. 2011 Domaine les Ondines, Vacqueryras Blanc, $20. Jeremy is making a beautiful white with an elegant and stylish body, smooth, richness, and zippy acidity. 2011 Sang de Callioux, which I worte about already, but bears repeating...super interesting, earth, and more minerality, with nice round flesh fruit. 2011 Domaine Joncier, Lirac, le blanc, Marine's white has a wildness to it, that I think all of her wines share, it is not rustic, per se, her wines are actually very elegant but also powerful, much like her own spirit. The wine bespeaks the earth from which it comes, a bit unwieldy but so inviting and interesting. (i have to check pricing on a couple of these, as they are not yet in the shop, but they all will be in time!) I also have a few Northern Rhone wine makers, like Cuilleron and Clappe, whose wines I carry, though they do not blend. Instead, they use the grapes I mentioned above in single varietals and they are equally delicious and intriguing...