Château De La Gardine, Châteauneuf-Du-Pape Cuvée Tradition Blanc 2021

White Châteauneuf is one of the Southern Rhône's best-kept secrets, and Gardine's Cuvée Tradition is a fine reason to pay attention. The Brunel family have been farming this estate since 1945, and their white is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, and Bourboulenc — the classic Southern Rhône white cast — picked from old vines on the plateau's famous galets roulés, those smooth, heat-retaining pebbles that define so much of what makes this appellation tick. The 2021 is generous without being heavy: ripe stone fruit and white flowers, a waxy, almost lanolin texture from the Roussanne, and enough freshness to keep it honest. Serve it cold enough to feel refreshing but not so cold you lose that lovely roundness — think 12°C and rising in the glass.