It’s a perfect time for a “white-out”

With just-arrived Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc!

Up to 99 points

Great Whites from the Southern Rhone

Large parts of the country have had extreme cold and snow. I dropped my kid off for skiing and it was a balmy - only 1 degree. Yet somehow it got me thinking about a different kind of white, white wines. I know spring is on its way, and even on these cold nights sometime you crave an interesting blanc to go with that warm soup or hearty meal. The bright acidity and fresh flavors, the minerality and zing - you can drink white any time of year.

In the southern Rhone grapes like Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, and Bourboulenc are the stars, but there are at least 10 white grapes in the Chateauneuf appellation (to go with at least 9 red ones!). Some are so hard to find, especially these from Beaucastel and Vieux Telegraphe, as the production is small, but the fervor to collect them is big. We were lucky to grab these at the end of the holiday season, someone else’s overlooking them means more for your cellar.

All have just arrived and are In Stock!

“The Montrachet of the Southern Rhône”

2021 Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes

$189.89 (750ml) In Stock – Buy Now

96-99 JD / 98 DE / 97 JS / 95-97 WA

96 VM / 18 JR

The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes (100% Roussanne) is brought up in all new oak, and it has a normal pH of 3.7 and an alcohol of 14.5%. (In comparison, the classic white has a pH of 3.6 and slightly less alcohol at 14%.) Rich, full-bodied, and opulent, it has a gorgeous perfume of caramelized white peach, acacia flowers, toasted spices, and orange blossom. One of the most powerful, concentrated whites in the vintage, its oak is perfectly integrated, it's flawlessly balanced, and as I've written in the past, it's the Montrachet of the Southern Rhône!-Jeb Dunnuck

“A perfectly balanced blanc for early drinking”

2020 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau Blanc

$155.89 (1.5L) In Stock – Buy Now

95 WS / 95 JS / 94 DE / 93+ JD / 93 WA

Well-built, with a steady intensity to the waves of white peach, star fruit, acacia, honeysuckle and mirabelle plum. Delivers flashes of lemon shortbread and quinine through the finish, giving it both plump and racy elements. This is hard to lay off now, but it has some development ahead of it. Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc and Roussanne. Drink now through 2030. - JM, Wine Spectator

Plenty of fresh-nut character, plus notes of bread dough and candied lemon on the enticing nose. Rich and creamy palate, the underlining stony character complementing this very neatly. Long and complete finish with serious textural and mineral complexity. From the Domaine du Vieux Télégraph stable. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

“Decadent and Rich”

2022 Domaine de la Charbonniere Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc

$46.89 (750ml) In Stock – Buy Now

94 WS / 93 JD

Big in stature and scale, with creamy pear and pureed melon backed by stylish oak, flinty minerality and a saline beam of acidity. Decadent and rich, with the energy to keep perfect pace. Reveals dried thyme and heather details on the long finish. Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Clairette. Drink now through 2028. 332 cases made, 180 cases imported.—Kristen Bieler, Wine Spectator

Beautiful stone fruits, tart pineapple, and subtle spicy, brioche nuances, as well hints of honeysuckle, all define the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc, a pure, vibrant, medium-bodied white from this family that does everything right. Based on 40% each of Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, with the balance Clairette, enjoy bottles over the coming 4-5 years.—Jeb Dunnuck

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