2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Clos du Belvedere Blanc

More white flowers, brioche, honeysuckle, and lemon curd notes emerge from the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Clos Du Belvedere Blanc. It’s a rock star on the palate, with plenty of richness and fruit, yet it still comes across as crisp, clean, and pure. Made from 100% Grenache Blanc brought up in older barrels, it’s one of the true gems when it comes to whites in 2018. The team at Château du Vaudieu, led by Laurent Bréchet as well as consultant Philippe Cambie, is firing on all cylinders and continues to produce a bevy of truly world class wines in every vintage. The estate is located not far from Rayas and the wines are rich and powerful, yet never show any signs of rusticity or coarseness. These are elegant, seamless, singular wines. Looking at the two vintages reviewed here, the 2017s showed brilliant with most rating at the upper end of their barrel reviews, which is always a good sign. These are incredibly Provençal, sexy, balanced wines that make the most of the vintage. All the 2018 reds were tasted out of barrel and shows beautifully, with the ripe yet pure style of the vintage. These will certainly be approachable in their youth, yet I suspect also age gracefully given their inherent balance. While 2018 was a difficult year for the whites, you wouldn’t know it by tasting at this estate and along with Saint Prefert and Beaucastel, I think Château De Vaudieu are fashioning some of the greatest whites of the region.