Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc

France’s Chateauneuf du Pape in Rhone is prized for its red wines, but one needn’t go further to sample the best white wine. Domaine de la Janasse present a premium white wine using old vine Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Roussanne grapes. One third of the wine is aged in new barriques with lees stirring for 14 months, with the remainder retaining freshness in stainless steel. 

The final blend has an expressive nose of dried tropical fruits and citrus, whilst the sublimely ripe and rounded palate shows apricot, pineapple and melon. The background reveals layers of green almond, honeysuckle and buttered brioche on the long, creamy finish. Try with creamy herbed or spiced fish dishes, smoked ham, sauteed vegetables, hard or soft cheeses. 

Domaine de la Janasse source the grapes for this wine from vines planted in the 1940’s, and only 900 to 1200 bottles are made in any year, making it an excellent limited run to add to any collection. The Sabon family-owned winery owes its success in part to its rigorous selection of grapes, with the harvester making the first selection, and a second sorting by family members as grapes are emptied into trays. This close and careful monitoring continues throughout production to final bottling.