2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Clos de Beauvenir

77% Roussanne, 23% Grenache Blanc. Aged for six months in oak (10% new). Tasted blind. Dried grass, garrigue, lemongrass and melon – loads of instant interest on the nose. The herbal element gives attractive lift to the rich, cooked fruit character, leaving an olive bitterness to keep the finish piquant. Very tasty. (RH)

The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Clos De Beauvenir Blanc shows the more crisp, fresh style of recent vintages (this cuvée was much more opulent in the past) as well as terrific notes of peach and pear fruit intermixed with notions of white flowers, spice, and crushed rocks. Medium-bodied, with good acidity and length, it’s going to put on weight with another 2-3 years of bottle age and, like the classic cuvée, will be very long-lived. The blend is 77% Roussanne and 23% Grenache Blanc, brought up in just 10% new oak. Château La Nerthe continues to fashion a classic, concentrated, fresher and more structured style of wine that needs bottle age to show at their best. I suspect all these scores will turn out to be too conservative in another 5-6 years.

Mainly barrel-fermented Roussanne, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Clos de Beauvenir is a major success. Pencil shavings accent tropical fruit notes that include guava and pineapple. Full-bodied but structured, it's big, plush and ripe but balanced, with a lively testiness on the lingering finish. It should age a decade or more, depending on how evolved you enjoy your white wines.