2021 Françoise Roumieux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Rhone Valley, France

ABOUT THE WINE

Just a small amount of white wine is produced in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and these are highly prized for their ability to age gracefully. White Châteauneufs are textural wines with layers of flavour that make them great for pairing with many foods.

It is a blend of equal parts of Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Roussanne co-fermented. Grapes were from a single vineyard southwest of Châteauneuf-du-Pape with 40-year-old vines.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER

As the head of the prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape house Vignobles Mayard, Françoise Roumieux has emerged as one of the most forward-thinking figures of the appellation. She’s a leader in regenerative, no-till farming, and of the winemaking community that forms the lifeblood of the Southern Rhône.

The leading Rhône critics have been effusive about the wines Roumieux makes with her sister Beatrice at Vignobles Mayard. Most tellingly, Wine Advocate praised the estate as one “where prices haven’t yet caught up with the increasing quality.” And this unctuous mixture of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah has the same stylistic verve as that estate’s marquee bottles.

Like all great leaders, Roumieux’s attention is as much on others as on herself. That’s how she came to her role as president of the Femmes Vignes Rhône—a tight-knit consortium of the Rhône Valley’s leading female winemakers—and in 2016, she created a micro-negociant to highlight the contributions of the group, sourcing grapes exclusively from the 30 or so estates that comprise the organization.