2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Cuvee a Tempo

Matured for 18 months in a combination of old oak barriques from Guigal’s Hermitage Blanc Ex Voto as well as concrete and ceramic eggs, the 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée A Tempo unfurls in the glass with honeysuckle, acacia, yellow apple, pear, lime, white peach, melon and a pinch of honey aromas. Medium to full-bodied and dense, it is delicious to drink now and will continue to evolve for a few more years. Only 1,500 bottles produced.

Now from bottle, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvee A Temp is another incredible white that offers an almost Riesling-like sense of minerality. Giving up lots of pear, orange blossom, honeyed brioche, and sappy herbs, it's medium to full-bodied on the palate and has incredible purity, integrated acidity, and great finish. It's certainly a bigger, richer wine compared to the more steely 2021, but it doesn't give an inch with regard to purity, precision, or balance. It’s always a great tasting with Laurence Féraud, and the quality at this address remains sky-high, both with their reds and their whites. I was thrilled to see the 2020s show better this go-round, and this will certainly be a solid vintage.