Wine Wednesdays – Qupé Marsanne

This week’s feature is the 2013 Qupé Marsanne from Santa Barbara County in California’s Central Coast region.  I’ve been a fan of Qupé wines for quite some time, however this particular grape varietal is new to me.  This wine is a blend of 75% Marsanne and 25% Roussanne,with the grapes coming from several of Qupé’s four vineyards.

This is a very nice wine which is ready for drinking now but according to the vineyard it also ages quite well.  I’d describe this as crisp with some citrus notes.  Qupé’s white wines are said to be inspired by the wines of Northern Rhone and Bob Lindquist, their winemaker, says he prides himself on making complex, elegant and drinkable white wines.  I would agree that the Marsanne fits that description, and I can definitely taste the French influences in this one.

This one takes a little while to develop, however after a few sips I decided a really liked it.  It’s a very nice summer wine.  For this tasting I paired it with a nice charcuterie and cheese plate; it would also pair nicely with a grilled white fish like halibut or sea bass.  I’ll definitely be having this one again!

The Central Coast region is one of California’s premier wine regions, and makes a nice alternative to a Napa/Sonoma wine tasting trip.  I would certainly put Qupé on my list of must visit wineries!

Most of Qupé’s wines are widely available, however they also have a wine club that has several different options for shipment size.

Samples were provided by Qupé Vineyards; thoughts and opinions are my own.