21726 customer reviews

Château Simone blanc 2013

Name: Château Simone White 2013
Brand: Château Simone
Rating: 4.5 (70 reviews)

Palette|White wine

4.5/5 (70 customers)

17/20

RVF

15,5/20

Bettane & Desseauve

“This sublime, elegant white wine builds in intensity and slowly unfolds into a structured, mineral-driven palate. Still somewhat reserved, it will gain body over the next fifteen years.” (Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France 2017 - RVF) The appellation’s gem—not to be missed!

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Estate

Château Simone

Vintage

2013

Designation

Palette

Region

Provence

Grape Varieties

80% Clairette, 10% Grenache blanc, 5% Ugni blanc, 3% Bourboulenc, 2% Muscat blanc

Regions

on north-facing hillsides, with limestone scree soils

Viticulture

traditional farming without chemical fertilizers or other treatments that disrupt the ecological balance

Grape Harvest

hand-picked, fully ripe

Wine Production

fermentation with native yeasts, in small casks

Livestock Farming

8 months in small oak casks, followed by 12 months in barrels

Alcohol content

13,5%

Eye

beautiful golden dress

Nose

with floral and fruity notes accented by subtle woody undertones, and aromas of very ripe fruit

Palate

full-bodied and rich on the palate, with plenty of freshness

Serve

at 10-12°C

Open

1 hour before

Drink starting at

2016

Drink before

2024

Food and Wine Pairings

Enjoy it with Provençal stuffed vegetables, fish carpaccio, grilled sea bass, vegetable anchoïade...

More information at Château Simone

More information at Palette

Bettane & Desseauve

Wine rated (2017 guide) 15,5/20 (Very good wine)

Rated estate (2020 guide): 4*Stars (Producers of the very highest quality, the pride of French viticulture)

About the wine:

Already supple and crisp, it already has all the makings of a great wine but is not quite there yet. This wine is no exception to the rule that you have to be patient with it.

About the estate:

This is the most famous château in the Palette appellation, where the Rougier family has been shaping its style for nearly two centuries. The 25 hectares of vineyards are located at an altitude of about 200 meters, on a north-facing slope that shields them from the intense sun and the mistral. But the estate’s true treasure is undoubtedly its many very old vines, carefully tended through sustainable viticulture, for which official organic certification has been pending since 2018. The wine, aged in vaulted cellars carved into the rock by the Grand Carmelite monks of Aix in the 16th century, is often underestimated in its youth. After a few years of aging, all the vintages—including the rosés—reveal admirable complexity and depth. It is therefore best to keep the bottles in the cellar for a while, even if the impatient among us might disagree.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide to the Best Wines of France

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

Wine rated (2017 guide) 17/20 (Great wine)

Rated Estate (2021 Guide) 2*Stars (These exceptional estates, often boasting fabulous terroirs, are must-haves that, thanks to the consistency and excellence of their wines, deserve a place in the cellars of discerning wine lovers)

About the wine:

This sublime, elegant white wine builds in intensity and slowly unfolds into a structured, stony body. Still somewhat reserved, it will gain depth over the next fifteen years.

About the estate:

From the top of the hillsides at Château Simone, a scene straight out of a Cézanne painting unfolds: one can admire the century-old vines clinging to the Langesse limestone, opening up to the north toward Mount Sainte-Victoire. “La Simone,” as the Rougier family likes to call it, is undoubtedly the most famous wine among connoisseurs of great Mediterranean white wines. Indeed, René and Jean-François Rougier craft this white wine without resorting to technical artifice, resulting in a wine of incredible character, balance, and richness. One of the secrets lies in the slow pressing and twenty months of aging in large oak casks, followed by barrel aging. It is also the product of an 8-hectare plot planted with several grape varieties, primarily Clairette (with 2% Muscat that makes all the difference!), which are harvested and blended during winemaking. The rosé, Simone’s other standout, is always vibrant in color, with intense fruitiness. On the palate, it is highly concentrated and shows aging potential. The red has now reached the caliber of certain great wines from the southern Rhône Valley. The Grenache and Mourvèdre lend it a character defined by a higher level of ripeness and a more developed mid-palate than in previous vintages.

Customer Rating

4.5/5

based on 70 reviews

Review and comment by Mr. JEROME A. Posted on September 6, 2023

The cork was a bit concerning (moldy on top, and it broke in two), but all’s well that ends well. A beautiful, luminous golden color. A terpenic nose with very ripe—even exotic—yellow fruit and medicinal herbs; the next day, it evolved further toward pastry-like notes (butter, praline). The attack is round, but ultimately the tension is impressive, offering a lofty balance and significant length. The fruit oscillates between yellow and exotic, with persistent herbaceous/vegetal notes and a mineral finish that I find very difficult to describe. Ultimately, this is a wine that exudes phenomenal energy and leaves a striking impression on the palate. In my recent memory, I rank it above the Mas Jullien from the same vintage that I drank in June—it has greater intensity and complexity, and bears a resemblance to fine Burgundian wines. However, aside from the fact that it didn’t win unanimous approval at the table (some found it too powerful, though that didn’t strike me as an issue, and yet no one recognized it as a Provence wine), the pairing with the dish (sea bass and sea bream fillets en papillote, simply cooked with tomato and onion slices and sprinkled with curry) was downright neutral, and it paired better with an aged Comté cheese. Otherwise, I really enjoyed it even when drunk on its own; I had high expectations and wasn’t disappointed at all!