2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Anonyme Blanc

Light bright yellow-gold. Orange and melon scents are lifted and sharpened by dusty mineral and quinine nuances. Taut and focused on the palate, offering chewy orchard and pit fruit flavors and a hint of succulent herbs. Nicely concentrated if slightly ungiving, finishing with firm cut and a touch of bitterness.

The 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Anonyme is a downright exotic, interesting white made from 60% Roussanne, 25% Clairette and 15% Grenache Blanc brought up in tank and new barrels. It offers deep, smoky, almost meaty bouquet as well as notes of citrus blossom, lavender, wood smoke and orange blossom. Rich, concentrated and layered on the palate, it’s certainly singular, and I suspect will be even better than the above score with another 6-12 months of bottle age. One of the leading consultants in the southern Rhône is Xavier Vignon and he releases a bevy of beautiful wines under his own label.

The 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Anonyme Blanc features smoky, campfire-like aromatics and bitter, charred flavors. This isn't the first Xavier Vignon white wine I've struggled with, so I'm not inclined to ascribe it to a flawed bottle. I find the red wines much more consistent.