10 Jul Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Pax 2018 Trousseau Gris, Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard

A French grape variety, Trousseau Gris is a native grape of the Jura region in eastern France where it is made into a white wine, or slightly colored wine. Once widely grown in California under the name Gray Riesling, there is now extremely limited production. The 98-year old, dry-farmed, seven acre Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard in the Russian River Valley appellation of Sonoma County is home to the only known standing block of Trousseau Gris in California. One of the producers making a Trousseau Gris from this vineyard is Pax Wine and the Pax 2018 Trousseau Gris, Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

The Pax Trousseau Gris may look like a rosé but it is not. Due to some carbonic maceration as well as skin contact, the wine is a golden hued, peachy colored wine. Pax ferments the grapes in 100% concrete eggs for four months and does not add any additional SO2 during winemaking.

On the nose, the wine is bright and fresh with aromas of orange peel, lemon, kumquat, savory herbs, wet stone and unripe peach. On the palate, the wine is savory with vibrant acidity and finishes with crushed stone minerality. The wine has a lovely texture and pairs well with food, ranging from shellfish to meats to cheeses.

The Pax 2018 Trousseau Gris, Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard is available at wine retailers across the country and will range from $20 on the west coast to $30 on the east coast.