“Charmentin”, Bouches-du-Rhône Terre de Camargue Blanc

Mas de Valériole produces white wines as sprightly and evocative as their rosés, and we are excited to dip into their lineup here with the “Charmentin”—a blend of 70% Rolle (Vermentino) and 30% Chardonnay, fermented in stainless steel and bottled after six months on the fine lees. This is a wine anchored no so much by its acidity, which is adequate yet not assertive, as by the cleansing sense of bitterness left on the palate by the thick-skinned Rolle. A subtle hint of salinity weaves its way into the generous but restrained fruit, and the domaine’s preference for low sulfur shows itself in the wine’s lift and purity.