Laurent Habrard, Hermitage Rocoules, 2019

This wine is intense, complex and really exciting. Beginning with the vines; they are the oldest vine for White Hermitage in the whole region, dating back to the 70s. Straight away on the nose, there’s lemon pith and oils, beeswax, and burnt honeycomb. As the wine unwinds, you get burnt orange zest and marmalade, then with a few more minutes, buttery toast and caramelised Comte. This is an opportunity to taste Marsanne as good as it gets. Decant it and take your time. Although this would shine beside something and simple as buttery toast, it would also be perfect beside a white ragu.