2013 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes

(aged in a 50/50 blend of stainless steel tanks and oak barrels for eight months): Light, vivid gold. Intensely perfumed aromas of poached pear, orange, candied fig and jasmine slowly acquire a hint of fennel. Smooth, sappy and expansive on the palate, offering rich, mineral-laced orchard fruit and pit fruit flavors that show a suave blend of richness and energy. Finishes very long and sappy, displaying excellent clarity and building mineral and floral notes.

Fleshy oak that is prominent but not dominant. Loads of ripe, exotic fruit here. Rounded, lengthy, perfumed and bold. Very good. (RH)

Similar in color to the classic white, the 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is deeper and richer, with more viscosity, glycerin and minerality. Loaded with notes of buttered citrus, flowers, orange marmalade and crushed-rock nuances, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied power, juicy, lively acidity and terrific length. Like the classic white, this does not go through malolactic fermentation, but sees slightly more oak (some new) in its élevage, which always gives it slightly more richness, as well as hints of vanilla in its youth. It’s unquestionably the greatest white wine coming from the Southern Rhône, and while I prefer to drink it in its first 4-6 years, it can evolve for decades.