{"product_id":"railsback-freres-nolan-ranch-clairette-blanche-santa-ynez-ca-2022","title":"Railsback Frères - 'Nolan Ranch' - Clairette Blanche - Santa Ynez, CA - 2022","description":"\u003ch2\u003eNotes from the Winery\/Importer\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlong with experimental plantings of Graciano, Picpoul Blanc, Teroldego, Mencia, and Xarello at the Nolan Ranch, they have a mere 1.84 acres of Clairette Blanche in the northwest hills of their property. Our love of the waxy, saline whites of Cassis, Bandol, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape led us to work with Clairette Blanche, the plant material of which was sourced from the legendary Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel. Victoria and I named our baby daughter, Simone, so consequently, we’ve found ourselves regularly opening bottles of the Palette Blanc from Château Simone, which is of course made predominantly from Clairette Blanche.\nLong considered one of the Great Whites of Southern France, it’s a joy to drink this kind of textured white at the table with all sorts of cuisine Provençal. Our new world version of this unsung white cépage offers another view, and we’re super excited with the results of the 2021 harvest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eNotes on the Producer\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eRailsback Frères began as a rosé project in 2015 by brothers Lyle and Eric Railsback, who call their rosé “Les Rascasses” (scorpion fish in French) as an homage to Lulu Peyraud. Lulu was the proprietress of Domaine Tempier in Bandol, maker of their favorite rosé in Provence. Lyle did National Sales for French importer Kermit Lynch for twelve years before leaving to focus on this Santa Ynez project. His brother Eric started Lieu Dit wines in Santa Barbara, inspired by wines of the Loire valley, and owns Verve Wine in NYC, Chicago, and San Francisco.\n“Eric approached me when he found access to some Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault in Santa Ynez,” says Lyle Railsback, “and we produced our first rosé with the ‘original recipe’ of Bandol: direct-to-press, vinified and aged in old wood, and with malolactic completed. Two years later we partnered with Presqu’ile Winery in Santa Maria, where we now make the wines using only wild, native yeast fermentation. In addition to our dry rosé, we also now make small-lots of other Southern French grape varieties, including Vermentino, Carbonic Carignan (à la Maxime Magnon in Corbières), an inky red Mourvèdre, and Syrah from Bien Nacido that’s made entirely without the use of SO2.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eGrapes \u0026amp; Style\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003eClairette Blanche\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eClairette Blanche is the pale-skinned form of Clairette, grown mainly in southern France. It’s a traditional Mediterranean white grape used in Rhône and Languedoc blends, sparkling wines, and increasingly as a varietal wine by growers interested in older local varieties.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the vineyard, Clairette Blanche can lose acidity if picked too late, so the best wines come from sites and harvest decisions that preserve freshness. It can add body, subtle fruit, and herbal complexity without dominating a blend.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the glass, Clairette Blanche often shows pear, lemon, fennel, white flowers, almond, and a lightly saline or bitter-herbal finish. It’s usually understated, but good examples have a lovely combination of texture, freshness, and southern French savor.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Satellite SB","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49105604215035,"sku":"00077648","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0403\/3655\/6193\/files\/ec32c985c4b1d33fc3436c5be481e963.jpg?v=1785030886","url":"https:\/\/satellitesb.com\/products\/railsback-freres-nolan-ranch-clairette-blanche-santa-ynez-ca-2022","provider":"Satellite SB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}