Kew Marsanne 2020

From the Niagara Escarpment wine region, Kew Vineyards 2020 Marsanne is excellent value at $20. Rich, rounded and mouth filling, this dry, full-bodied white wine is made from a traditional Rhône white wine grape, but is quite happy on the Beamsville Bench with its seventh vintage at Kew. A splash of Viognier is added to the wine to give it a bit more perfume. The wine was also aged for eight months in large 500-litre French oak barrels giving it roundness and a creamy texture. Rich on the nose and palate with ripe stone fruit, soft citrus zest, ginger, sweet baking and toasty oak spice flavours, the wine is ready to enjoy now through to 2025. Pour with pan-fried trout or a roast duck a l’orange. Drink date: [Now]-2025. Score – 91. (nataliemaclean.com, May 25, 2024)