The recently released 2020 Acquiesce Roussanne
The Winery
Acquiesce Winery continues to impress with their white wine portfolio on French varietals. There is so much to state about Susan Tipton, owner and winemaker of Acquiesce Winery. The key takeaway is that she established her winery in Acampo (just north of Lodi) with the expressed purpose of bringing French white wine varieties to market. Lodi had been primarily known for red wines, but she turned heads with some of her unique wines such as Picpoul, Clairette Blanche, Ingénue (blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Bourboulenc & Picpoul Blanc), Roussanne and more. Here are some reviews of her wines and her impact:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2020/09/20/2018-acquiesce-vineyards-picpoul-blanc/
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2020/08/30/2018-acquiesce-ingenue-french-and-more-french/
Her awards are too numerous to list!!
The 2020 Roussanne Wine
Her 2019 Roussanne and earlier vintages have made my Best Wines of the Year list. The 2020 Roussanne on the eye is a light-medium golden straw color and medium viscosity. On the nose, it possessed an elegant finesse with floral aromatics, hints of pear, apricots and with a rich and silky smooth mouthful texture almost creamy. The finish had a soft nutty texture of almond and a hint of honey with a distinct minerality with a medium long finish. Roussanne brings more acidity, elegance and floral aromatic complexities to the wine which makes it perfect for chicken, turkey or fish. The current release is the 2020 and winery price is $34/bottle. This wine will make my Best Wines Tasted in 2022 (Dec 15th, 2021 to Dec 14th, 2022) Click on previous article on Acquiesce Winery:
The Food and Wine Pairing
The 2020 Acquiesce Roussanne wine was paired with a spinach tomato feta stuffed chicken breast recipe. Ingredients included paprika, kosher salt, garlic powder, chopped baby spinach, sundried tomatoes, shallots, garlic clove, fresh basil, oregano, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Accompanying dish was Yukon Gold smashed potatoes. . Dessert was a beautiful pineapple upside down cake.
I have always believed Susan Tipton is unique in her vision for the AVA and has produced wines to showcase her ability as a top-rated winemaker and trailblazer. While I have always kept her Roussanne in the cellar, this last year Picpoul Blanc, Bourboulenc, Ingénue and Clairette Blanche are also always stocked and featured in the Best Wines Tasted in 2021.
Sláinte,
Michael
California Wines & Wineries 