(94-95). Bright straw-yellow. Powerful aromas of fresh pear and white peach are complicated by suggestions of orange zest, iodine and succulent lowers. Sappy and impressively delineated on the palate, offering intense pear skin, Meyer lemon and honeysuckle flavors that deepen and pread out steadily on the back half. Hints of marzipan and candied ginger emerge on an impressively long, mineral-tinged finish that echoes the floral and citrus fruit notes.
96. A stonier, more mineral expression of white Châteauneuf with impressive body and concentration. Super-fresh, white flowers, flint and delicate pears here. The palate has a strong, mineral edge, smooth phenolics, fleshy stone fruit and a neat, fine, chalky finish. Drink in 2020
(93-95). VT’s 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a blend of 45% Clairette, 30% Grenache Blanc, 15% Roussanne and 10% Bourboulenc, fermented in a mix of foudres, demi-muids and barriques. It’s medium to full-bodied but tight, with crisp lime, lemon and pear notes carried on a silky-textured palate. You could drink this on release and enjoy it for its focus and delineation, or you could give the inner richness the time it needs (2-3 years) to emerge and soften the subtle citrus zest notes on the finish
95. It’s always more straight, focused, and chiseled than the La Roquète. Lemon curd, white flowers, salty minerality, and ample licorice notes all give way to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, beautifully balanced white. Give it a few years.