Mandarin orange, vibrant honeysuckle, sweet honeydew melon. Guava nectar, herbal tea, juicy Bartlett pear. Wildly aromatic and enticing bursts of golden apple, apricot, canned peach, and lemon confit boom with expressive and layered intensity enhanced by fragrant wafts of clove, chamomile, and honey. Pronounced notes of plumeria and bird-of-paradise emerge in an explosion of lush floral perfume further bolstered by integrated oak tones of cardamom and vanilla. Interesting hints of beeswax and peanut shell reveal lightly phenolic and leesy charm while impressions of loamy earth and light mineral tones provide pretty glimpses of terroir. Impressive sweet smelling and forward on the nose while remaining tense and completely dry on the palate; exhibiting excellent breadth and roundness alongside an intriguing underlying waxy quality that comes across as simultaneously opulent and serious. Medium plus in body and supported by a bright vein of elevated acidity. This 2018 Annadel Gap Vineyard Roussanne by Westwood Estate Wines is a delightfully deep, decadent, and unique white from the Sonoma Valley.

Native to the Rhone Valley of Southeastern France yet now found selectively in regions around the globe, Roussanne is a classic yet relatively obscure white wine grape that is used often as a blending component both in its homeland and abroad. This bottling, crafted by Westwood Estate Wines using Roussanne grown at their biodynamic Sonoma Valley estate vineyard, makes an excitingly compelling case for merits of single-varietal Roussanne bottlings. This wine absolutely erupts from the glass with flutters of gorgeously aromatic fruit, sweet floral tones, and baking spice, and yet despite its weight it remains perfectly composed and even nicely crisp on the palate. Its firm backbone of acidity ensures that roundness and textural richness never overwhelm its structure, and it remains perfectly poised and balanced throughout its lengthy and luscious attack. This is an impressively well balanced, complex, and delicious creation by an exciting Sonoma producer.