Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2024

Le Vieux Donjon is a family estate in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in the southern Rhone, farming eighteen hectares of which only one is given over to white wine. This organic bottling blends equal parts Clairette and Roussanne. Clairette brings freshness, florals and a saline lift, while Roussanne adds body, stone fruit and an aromatic, honeyed weight. The vineyards sit on the appellation's warm, stony ground, and the hot southern climate ripens the fruit fully, which shows in the 14.5 per cent alcohol. The wine is vinified in stainless steel tanks with the malolactic fermentation deliberately blocked, so the natural malic acidity is kept intact to hold the ripe fruit fresh, then aged briefly in tank to preserve its aromatics. The colour is pale gold. The nose is rich and floral, with white peach and apricot over white flowers, honey and a hint of beeswax. The palate is full and rounded but held together by that preserved acidity, with ripe stone fruit, melon and citrus peel and a long, gently saline finish. Serve at 11 to 13 degrees in a large glass.