Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc AOC 2023

The Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc AOC 2023 from La Nerthe is a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the southern Rhône that holds richness and definition together. The nose opens with lemon with pips and zest, followed by greengage, yellow apple and star fruit, alongside vanilla, butter, linden-blossom tea and linden-blossom honey over a subtle oak note.

The grapes grow on the varied soils of Château La Nerthe: clay and limestone, sand and clay, sandstone with large pebbles. The estate is home to one of the appellation's few natural springs, surrounded by centuries-old woodland. This creates a microclimate of warm days and cool nights.

The blend consists of 44% Roussanne, 41% Grenache Blanc, 11% Clairette and 4% Bourboulenc. The whole clusters were hand-harvested and pressed slowly. Roussanne and Grenache fermented in 228- and 600-litre casks, a third of them new, and aged there on fine lees. Clairette and Bourboulenc were aged partly in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, partly in demi-muids, likewise on fine lees. Blending took place in spring after the harvest, shortly before bottling.

Opulent, soft and sensuous, yet held in check: round and supple in flow, while remaining clearly defined. Oak and vanilla sit alongside aniseed and liquorice, lemon and peach, pineapple and blanched almonds. A full-bodied, dense wine, dry at 14.5% vol.

With lobster in butter sauce, grilled turbot, veal sweetbreads or risotto with white truffle, as well as aged Comté and bouillabaisse.

Château La Nerthe is one of the oldest estates in the appellation; from 1782 it was the first estate in the region to bottle its own wine. Across 92 hectares split into 57 parcels, Rémi Jean cultivates all 13 permitted grape varieties, fully organic since 1998, without chemical fertilisers, herbicides or pesticides.