2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Clos des Papes, Paul Avril & Fils, Rhône

Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul Blanc, Picardan. Organic. Tasted at the domaine.

Expressive and exuberant with a real explosion of fruit. Pear, floral and aniseed notes. Palate full, round and rich but with a minerally freshness and citrus edge. Very persistent. Lovely now but will age.

Drink 2021 - 2035

Round and elegant, the 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc bursts from the glass with lively aromas of honeysuckle, acacia, dried lemon and orange peel, white peach, mango and a pinch of fresh ginger. Full-bodied, oily-textured and concentrated, this is a delicious Clos des Papes Blanc. Already drinking splendidly today, it will provide pleasure over the next 10 years.

Drink 2022 - 2035

Clos des Papes has white varieties in only three of its 24 vineyard parcels, but the resulting wine is a blend of all permitted varieties, in roughly equal proportions. The 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is outstanding, offering up scents of pineapple and tangerine, coupled with floral overtones. Full-bodied but clean and zesty, it's somehow plump and rich, but paradoxically light and refreshing. I enjoy these wines young, but proprietor Paul-Vincent Avril opened a still-delicious 2001 during this visit, so there is an argument to be made for aging this wine.

Clos des Papes farms 24 different parcels in the appellation, and Avril said they all bring something important to the blend. "Chateauneuf de Pape is a blend—a blend of grapes and a blend of the terroirs." The 2021 vintage marked his 36th vintage, and he proudly said he'd never sold a single milliliter as bulk wine. I was left with the impression that he's not going to start now.

Drink 2021 - 2025

From a great vintage for the whites as well as the reds), the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc offers a classic, vibrant, medium-bodied style as well as lots of citrus and white grapefruit, a distinct, rocky, mineral character, good acidity, terrific overall balance, and a great finish. Give it a year and enjoy over the following two decades or more.

Drink 2022 - 2043

Citrusy and grapefruit-led thanks to the Bourboulenc. Touch of anise, touch of fennel, lovely acidity and freshness, with a gentle saline line. Generous but only just full-bodied, this shows liveliness and more depth than many white Châteauneufs this year. Long finish. No malolactic and no oak use.

Drink 2022 - 2042