08/01/2017 – Paul Mas, Belluguette Blanc 2015

(2017) The white wines of the Rhône Valley in France tend to be big and powerful, full and expressive grapes like Roussanne and Viognier delivering quite heady wines. Here in the Languedoc Paul Mas has blended those with the local Vermentino and Grenache Blanc, part barrel-fermented, to produce a similarly generous style. Aromas of vanilla, honeysuckle and peach lead on to a full, broad palate that is all about super-sweet and plush, fleshy fruit married to a rounded, background acidity that makes this quite fat and feel quite low in acid, but there is a core of steel in there, the sweet hint of the barrel also adding a layer of complexity. The price is £12.99 as part of a mixed six from Majestic.