Winemaker Notes
This wine opens with a lively attack, followed by a tense, powdery mid-palate and a long, slightly bitter finish. The nose reveals aromas of fennel and white flowers, leading to flavors of aniseed, bitter almond, and lychee, complemented by subtle notes of candied pineapple, ginger, and lime. The Cuvée Spéciale de Vieilles Clairettes reflects the singularity of the vineyard’s sunny terroirs, with a spectacular minerality that speaks to the care and dedication of its cultivation.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A glossy beam of fruit—melon, green plum, star fruit—is firmly grounded by a layer of minerality in this contemplative, very savory white, which is both racy and lush, with layers of smoky, saline-infused flint and warm buttered brioche. Savory acidity brings energy, with citrus blossom perfume and hints of toasted macadamia nut. The finish is marked by a bitter quinine element that brings a refreshing closing note. Drink now through 2030.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Aged partly in wine globes (glass) and partly in demi-muids, the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Vieilles Clairettes offers up just the merest hint of pencil shavings, with more emphasis given to the white peach fruit of the grape and a tinge of baking spices. It's perhaps a bit tamer and less flamboyant than previous vintages, but it's still impressive, with a cool, refreshing finish.
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.
According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.
Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.
The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.