Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc La Fontaine 2016 (750ML)

95 JD / 94 DE / 93 VM / 92-94 WA / 17 JR

The flagship 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc La Fontaine is a more substantial, serious effort that offers notes of caramelized citrus, brioche, honeysuckle and orange blossom. Rich, layered and concentrated, yet also fresh and lively, it's a terrific white that's going to sing on the dinner table. Drink it anytime over the coming 4-5 years (it will keep even longer). - Jeb Dunnuck

Almond and poached pear on the nose with some noticeable oak influence. Rich on the palate, broad, flowing and silky. Good acidity and a mineral finish give this shape and length. It's always a rich style, but a little more tucked in than usual, with very good length of flavour. - Decanter

Limpid yellow-gold. Ripe citrus and pit fruits, honey, buttered toast and pungent flowers on the deeply perfumed nose, with a smoky mineral nuance building in the glass. Supple and broad on entry, offering sappy peach, pear nectar and Meyer lemon flavors that tighten up slowly on the back half. The honey note reappears on an impressively long, penetrating finish that leaves a suggestion of buttered toast behind. I really like the combination of power and energy here. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media

The full-bodied, creamy-textured and amazingly plush 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc La Fontaine is a blend of barrel-fermented and tank-fermented Roussanne. The aromas of honey, vanilla and bergamot are intense, as are the pineapple notes on the palate. The wine finishes long, given definition by briny and bitter notes. My advice is to opt for caution when aging these big whites and drink them while the fruit is still paramount. - JC, Wine Advocate

100% Roussanne.Baked apple, lovely cinnamon spice, punchy acidic frame and a long, nutty finish. Really enjoyable and elegant – flavoursome, yet shapely. Nicely done. Might convince someone who’s not normally a fan. (RH) - Jancis Robinson .com