RHONE-WHITE

WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS: "Starting with the whites, and another great vintage, the 2015 Saint Joseph Blanc is as classic as they come. Offering lots of white peach, tangerine and floral notes in a fresh, concentrated, lively package that just begs to be drunk. This wine is a year in, year out no brainer, and while I like it in its first 3-4 years, it evolves gracefully. To give some perspective on when to drink these, the 2013 is incredible today, and I’ve tasted this cuvée going back over a decade with terrific results."

JEB DUNNUCK 93 - 95 POINTS - "The 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is another brilliant white from this team that hasn't put a foot wrong in the past decade or more. Buttered citrus, honeysuckle, flower oil, and white flowers all flow to this rich, beautifully layered, fresh and vibrant white that's impeccably balanced. Scheduled to be bottled shortly after my visit, it’s unquestionably another great vintage for this wine."

WINE ADVOCATE 92 - 94 POINTS - "Tasted prior to bottling, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc contains a whopping 80% Roussanne. There's 15% Grenache Blanc, with the balance being a blend of the appellation's various permitted white varieties. It's a rich, full-bodied example of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with honeyed notes of pineapple, peach and citrus all playing leading roles, while a touch of anise appears on the lingering finish."

JAMES SUCKLING 93 POINTS - "The anchor grape, Roussanne (80 per cent of the blend) is working well here, holding the acidity nicely. This has waxy, apple and lemon aromas with some pear perfume, too. Crisp, pear flavors on the gently creamy, elegant and open-knit palate. Delicately crisp. Drink or hold."

JAMES SUCKLING 93 POINTS - "A complex range of citrus, stone fruits and tropical fruits on the nose. This has plenty of appeal, freshness and energy. The palate delivers a smooth, crunchy and composed array of mineral-flecked apple, lemon and white peach."

WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS - "Inviting, with a creamy range of white peach, honeysuckle, green almond and yellow apple flavors streaming through, gilded with salted butter and verbena details on the finish. Glistens nicely. Drink now through 2020."

(Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette)
A supple, silky and long-lived white blend from lieu-dits Bedines and Pignan, vineyards best known for their sandy soils, which contributes to the wine its supple, velvety texture.

Grenache Blanc, Clairette Rose, Viognier

A more complexly flavored, layered white blend grown within the estate’s “clos” or wall, on classic Châteauneuf terroir. The wine’s aromas in particular capture the regional garrigue, or blend of lavender, wild thyme and rosemary.

50% Grenache Blanc 25% Clairette, 25% Bourboulenc

Aromas of quince, citrus, and tropical fruits. Full bodied with sharp acidity, and round texture. This dry wine invites you to the culinary pleasures of an excellent white wine full of freshness. It's a perfect companion to seafood, white meat and it is very appreciated at the time of aperitif.

ROBERT PARKER 93-95 POINTS: "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."

WINE SPECTATOR 92 POINTS: "A ripe and lush style, with creamed melon and peach notes framed by a light-handed dose of warm piecrust and singed macadamia nut hints. Keeps a fresh edge due to the honeysuckle gilding on the finish. Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. Drink now through 2020."

Chef-turned-Winemaker Francois Villard's "Les Contours de Deponcins" VdP is an exceptional value from grapes grown just outside of the appellation on his 12 hectare estate. A true classic, this 100% Viognier pairs perfectly with soft shell crab. Viognier's purest expression arguably comes from the Northern Rhone's Condrieu AOP. This village is one of the smallest in France producing miniscule quantities of seductive, aromatic white wine at high prices. Chef-turned-Winemaker Francois Villard's "Les Contours de Deponcins" VdP is an exceptional value from grapes grown just outside of the appellation on his 12 hectare estate. A true classic, this 100% Viognier pairs perfectly and effortlessly with soft shells, pad thai and roasted white meats.

BIODYNAMIC

With 35 hectares of vines nestled into the Catalonian foot hills of the Corbières appellation, the Gardies family has been making wine for 7 generations. Jean Gardies took over the estate in the late 90’s to ensure that the wines were being made to express their full potential of finesse and complexity.
crisp, dry, lots of minerals

WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS - "Alluring, with almond cream, white peach, yellow apple and Cavaillon melon flavors gliding through. The caressing finish has a light piecrust echo. Drink now through 2023."

JEB DUNNUCK 91 POINTS - "The 2016 Côtes du Rhône Blanc delivers the goods, and the quality of this cuvée has been incredible over the past few years. Made from 60% Viognier, 15% Roussanne and the rest Marsanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Grenache Blanc, it gives up tons of Viognier character in its white flowers, peach, and pineapple aromas and flavors. Drink this medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, elegant white over the coming year or two. It tastes like a Condrieu but costs about one-third the price."

JAMES SUCKLING 93 POINTS - "Attractive, fresh apricots and white nectarines. White flowers, too. Very fresh and bright. The smooth and even palate has a very rich and concentrated core of apricots. Super-ripe and super-fresh. Drink or hold."

100 % VIOGNIER
Beautiful, very epxressive Viognier displaying aromas of roses, apricots and oranges. Very exotic but also a good amount of minerality on the palate. Fresh and crisp on the finish.

The Muscat expresses itself with finesse. Delicate flavours tingle the tongue with notes of pear and apricot.Traditional. In stainless steel tank at 15°C, bringing a volume of 7 to 10% neutral alcohol, to limit fermentation to a density of approximately 1050 so that at least 110 grams of sugar remain per litre.

ROBERT PARKER 93 POINTS: "The 2010 Hermitage La Chapelle Blanc is 100% Marsanne from the vineyard known as Maison Blanche situated at the top of the Hermitage appellation, above the famed lieu-dit for white Hermitage, Les Rocoules. This cuvee is very limited in availability so I’ll keep my notes brief. Aromas of white currants, pepper, quince and apricot marmalade are present in this full-bodied, gorgeously rich, pure, stunning white. Completely locked down at present, it should be forgotten for 8-10 years and drunk over the following two decades. It will unquestionably be a very long-lived white wine."

Pierre Bénétière is a self-made man and staunch Northern Rhone traditionalist cut from the mold of the great icons of the region, Gentaz-Dervieux, Verset, Juge, Allemand, etc. While Pierre grew up in a wine family, his parents did not actually produce wine, but were merchants in Condrieu selling local table wines to the bars and restaurants in the area. He eventually studied Enology and started his winery in the late `80s by acquiring a small parcel of land in the southern end of Cote Rotie (in the lieu-dit of Cordeloux near Condrieu) and clearing and planting the vineyards himself. He later added two small vineyards in Condrieu itself as well as a small parcel of old vines in the heart of the Cote Rotie appellation, on the Cote Brune and right in the middle of Guigal’s famed “La Turque”!

The Condrieu is nicely phenolic in texture, and avoids the cloying quality that one often finds in this appellation. The richness of the wine is nicely balanced with an underlying acidity (he is clearly picking on the early side).

ORGANIC