Simone Blanc confounds expectations.

From deep within sun-soaked Provence comes this white wine of shocking verve, aristocratic breeding and the capacity to age for decades.

In short, there's simply nothing like Simone Blanc.

The 2012 Blanc is starting to show its depth of complexity and nuance. It's rare that you find a wine with this amount of class, with some age on it, and with a proven track record of evolving beautifully for the price. This is really worth stocking up on.

Trying to situate Simone Blanc in a larger context is difficult, but a good jumping off point is to draw attention to the similarities with Hermitage Blanc and Bordeaux Blanc. They all share a regal stature.

What makes Simone Blanc stand alone is the ultra-fine acidity that courses through it and the wild spectrum of complexity it offers.

The 2012 vintage of Simone Blanc represents a consolidation of the wine's distinctive traits with a boldness and harmony that we haven't encountered in a very long time. The vintage is about density, grandeur and freshness. In 2012, the singularity of Simone Blanc is unmistakable.

The 2012 is a profoundly textural and complex example of this wine. The minerality, herbs, pine resin and various stone fruits possess an emphatically caressing depth. The signature thread of bright and noble acidity is always in the background and comes to the forefront in the long and classy finish.

Andrew Jefford writes that “the Simone vineyards are unusual in every respect.” Simone is located in the small obscure limestone dominated appellation of Palette (it totals a mere 35ha) just north of Aix-en-Provence in the heart of Provence. Compared to the rest of sun-soaked Provence, the north facing vineyards give Simone's wines shocking poise and finesse. The blend is also pretty unusual. It's mainly Clairette along with Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc, Muscat Blanc, Picpoul, Furmint and Sémillon. Some from vines over 150 years old.

Simone's Blanc is a wine that we constantly return to. We find its aristocratic breeding, the way it transforms with a decade plus in the cellar and its sheer individuality endlessly compelling. It's a wine I'm always happy to offer, especially when it has some age on it.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone

Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits