Clos des Papes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Blanc 2016

From various plots around the appellation, farmed organically. All six white varieties were co-fermented in equal percentages. There's a distinct quince, pear and aniseed character on the nose, while in the mouth it's very full-bodied, with piercing acidity and some fine tannin on the finish. Quite a full and broad style - it's fresh, but not all that lively. You must keep this, and not drink it young.

Drink 2024-2034

Pale gold. Intense honeydew, Meyer lemon, pear nectar and toasted brioche aromas on the mineral-accented nose. Juicy and expansive in the mouth, offering densely packed, sharply focused citrus and orchard fruit flavors and a suggestion of gingery spices. Shows superb energy and mineral bite on the clinging finish, which features a sexy floral quality and repeating minerality.

Drink 2022-2030.

Pale gold. Intense honeydew, Meyer lemon, pear nectar and toasted brioche aromas on the mineral-accented nose. Juicy and expansive in the mouth, offering densely packed, sharply focused citrus and orchard fruit flavors and a suggestion of gingery spices. Shows superb energy and mineral bite on the clinging finish, which features a sexy floral quality and repeating minerality. Drink: 2022 – 2030

I always find the white from this terrific estate to be near the top of the hierarchy in terms of quality, yet it’s made in a very different style than the likes of Beaucastel’s Blanc or the old vine Clairette from St. Prefert (or the whites from Vaudieu), and is more fresh, crisp and pure. Even from a hot vintage, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc offers a beautiful crispness as well as terrific aromatics of caramelized citrus, spice and apple core. Clean, vibrant and yet also concentrated, it’s certainly enjoyable today, yet won’t hit maturity until 7-8 years and will keep for a decade or more after that.

A rich and powerful vintage, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc from Clos des Papes opens with a reductive bouquet of white fruits, citrus, dried fruits, almonds and apricot that slowly unfurls with aeration. Full-bodied, fleshy and round, it's dense and layered, with a firm tannic structure, gastronomic bitterness and a freshness that provides welcome lift to the wine's considerable weight, concluding with a very long, precise and elegant finish. It's a compelling and authoritative white Châteauneuf-du-Pape.