2019 Acquiesce Winery Roussanne – France Meets Italy Last Night
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 2019 Roussanne Wine
(Photo ©Michael Kelly)
Her 2019 Roussanne and earlier vintages have made my Best Wines of the Year list. The 2019 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 2021 and winery price is $36/bottle. This wine made 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
(Photo ©Michael Kelly)
Pulled this wine out of the cellar for a special fresh fish meal last evening. The 2019 Acquiesce Roussanne wine was paired with a baked Red Snapper fish prepared in an Italian fashion. Ingredients included a prepared sauce of minced garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, butter, white wine, lemon juice, paprika, rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley and capers. Then the fish baked with the sauce and parmesan cheese and plated with additional fresh chives, olives, halved cherry tomatoes and sliced green onions over a bed of lemon slices. Two fresh crab cakes with a dollop of tartar sauce and a fresh garden salad accompanied the dish.
(Photo ©Michael Kelly)
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 2022.
Sláinte,
Michael
California Wines & Wineries 