WHITE CHATEAU NEUF-DU-PAPE

Hitherto a bit-part player, the white wines of this celebrated southern Rhône region are well placed to find themselves increasingly in the spotlight, as a result of the changing climate conditions. Our Rhône expert recommends 20 of his favourite examples to seek out

- MATT WALLS

In the world of white wines, it has few comparisons. In a sea of lesser bottles, Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc is a shark among fish, a Great White, a wine of power and drama with the capacity to age and develop for decades.

But despite all of this, the region's white wines remain stubbornly in the shadow of the reds. Production and plantings, however, are on the up, as demand increases and more of us discover - or rediscover this majestic Mediterranean classic.

VARIETAL MIX

'What do you think of when you hear "Châteauneuf-du-Pape"?" asks Victor Coulon of producer Domaine de Beaurenard. "The reds,' he says. 'But the history of its whites is just as old.'

Red wines have always been in the majority in this part of the southern Rhône valley, but production of whites has just hit 8% of the total volume this year the highest proportion since records began. Out of 310 producers making wine in the appellation, 143 now make a white, the regional authority states.

Of the nine white- and pink-skinned grapes permitted in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, four of them have significant plantings: mainly Grenache Blanc and Clairette (respectively 90.9ha and 76.2ha in 2024), followed by Roussanne and Bourboulenc (53.4ha and 32.2ha). Wines are usually a blend, but can also be made from single variety - as for Châteauneuf reds.

Despite being the most common white grape, Grenache Blanc is rarely exciting by itself. Few people know the appellation better than Michel Blanc, a director at the Châteauneuf syndicat, or governing body. He believes the grape's invaluable contribution is that 'it brings the rest together...it's like the olive oil in your salad dressing.