Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 2024

Drink it now or cellar for up to 15 years. No need to decant, but best to open it half an hour before service. Clos Saint Jean is a family-run winery in the Rhône Valley, founded in the early 1900s by Edmond Tacussel and now run by the fifth generation of the family. The estate extends across 47 hectares of vineyards, nestled between Mont Ventoux and the Rhône River, characterized by the region's famous "galets roulés." The wine is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, and Bourboulenc in almost equal parts. After the manual harvest in multiple phases, by parcel, to ensure complete and uniform ripeness of the bunches, the vinification takes place in separate blocks. Grenache and Roussanne are vinified and aged for 9 months in used barrels, while Clairette and Bourboulenc are vinified and then aged (also for 9 months) in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then blended and bottled according to the lunar calendar on fruit days. In the glass, the wine reveals a fresh and rich character, with a fruity and lively aromatic profile revealing notes of ripe citrus and aromatic herbs, pear blossoms, and melon peel interspersed with mineral notes. On the palate, it is juicy, rounded, and ripe. It has a medium-full body and a clean style. It is energetic and has good complexity, with refreshing, well-integrated acidity and a long, lively finish. Try it with glazed roast ham or lobster.