Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021: report and top-scoring wines

Richly aromatic, with deep pear and a touch of yellow melon. Lightly honeyed on the nose, then more noticeably so on the palate, with sweet oak spice melding with the sappy acidity. Powerful in flavour, but with great focus, clarity and freshness; this has huge length, without any excessive body. Good now, will be better in time. Grown on limestone soils, aged in barriques, 50% of which are new. Just 2,700 bottles produced.

Nectarine fruit inlaid with a touch of fresh coconut. Full-bodied, generous and rounded, without any excessive oak - it's matured mostly in foudre and some old barriques. Perfectly judged, perfectly balanced and very long. It has great presence and energy, but no excess. Also contains Clairette Rose, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Picardan, Picpoul Blanc and Picpoul Gris. Just 6,000 bottles produced.

Floral pear notes on the nose, an attractive and lively aromatic display. It has the characteristic generosity on the palate of this cuvée, but with slightly higher acidity than a typical vintage, and a beautifully fresh finish. Harmonious, appealing and enticing, and a touch of spice adds complexity. From a single parcel of Roussanne, planted in 1919 and grown biodynamically. Aged in one-year-old demi-muids and barriques. Maximum of 6,000 bottles per year.

Bright and zesty in aroma, with no overt oaking to detract from the purity of the fruit. Only medium-bodied, with lovely crisp acidity cutting through. The discrete oak comes through on the finish, adding some cashew nuttiness and salinity to the long finish. Well balanced, pure and precise, this is the pinnacle of pure Grenache Blanc. Grown on galets roulés, matured in used barriques. Just 2,600 bottles produced.

Full-bodied and just a touch oily. The oak is forthright, and this has great concentration and huge power before a driving, saline finish. Almost too intense to broach now, but is likely to be very long lasting. Grown on sandy soils, matured in barriques (20% new) and concrete. Just 900 bottles produced.

Full-bodied, generous and broad, then a powerful beam of surging acidity rides in to refresh and cleanse the palate. The oaking is robust and will take time to harmonise, but this has the underlying power, concentration and extract to take it. Great length; an expansive, rich and regal Châteauneuf blanc. Also contains 10% each of Bourboulenc, Clairette Rose and Piquepoul. Grown organically on sand, matured in new barriques. Just 958 bottles produced.

Super-fresh and so dynamic. A lovely brisk acidity propels the tangy lime fruit long into the finish. The oak is quite present but well judged and should integrate after a year or so in bottle. Impressive length and finesse. Parcel selection of old vines on sandy clay soil. Matured in demi-muid, with 15% new wood. Just 3,000 bottles produced.

Fennel and grapefruit on the nose. Only medium-bodied, with a lovely sense of freshness and tension. Great brightness, acidity and balance. Pure and precise, with great drinkability and length. Should be long-lived. Contains all six permitted Châteauneuf white grapes in equal measure, fermented in stainless steel, with malolactic blocked.

Lovely soft and floral aroma - a slightly nutty kind of honeysuckle scent. Medium- to full-bodied, well balanced, with lovely freshness and pinpoint acidity. The finish rolls on like a luxury duvet. An example of just how fresh and seductive Clairette can be in the right hands. From a parcel in lieu-dit Bois Sénéchaux on north-facing sandy soils. Just 3,000 bottles produced.

Honeycomb oak on the nose, then quite a broad and generous palate. Sappy acidity, although not as high as some white Châteauneufs this year, and a long finish. This has a good sense of lightness, drinkability and balance. The oak is quite forthright for now, so give this some time to come together. 80% Roussanne, 10% Grenache and Clairette, plus 10% of Piquepoul Blanc, Picardan and Bourboulenc. Part of the blend was matured in two- and three-year-old barriques for a year.

Quite introspective for now, mostly just the nutty oak showing itself on the nose. Distinctly savoury, dry and medium-bodied palate. There's plenty of extract, giving it a saline impression on the very long finish, where flavours of cinnamon spice, apple and quince intermingle. A good sense of finesse, this could be exceptional in time. Grown on sandy soils and aged in new barriques.

Relatively brisk and nimble for a pure Roussanne, this isn't as oaked as some, which helps the fruit to shine through more clearly. It's zesty and fresh, with an edging of cinnamon sugar from the oak. Rich and long, but with great freshness and length. Well balanced, this is very good winemaking on show. Grown on galets roulés and sand in the lieux-dits of Bois Sénéchaux and Terres Blanches. 60% is aged in foudres, 40% in new barriques. Just 4,000 bottles produced.

Touch of reductive smoky bacon on the nose. Full-bodied, rich, quite unctuous but dry. The lime peel finish has cut and salinity, making it long and precise. From two parcels of galets roulés in the south of the appellation, fermented in stainless steel, aged in foudre and demi-muid.

Honeysuckle and tarragon notes on the nose, which is quite introverted at the time of tasting. Full-bodied, soft and pillow-like in texture. Lovely sense of freshness and better acidity than most previous vintages of this wine. Long finish. Really lovely, feather-light, but so intense. Surely the finest example of pure Clairette Rose in the world. Fermented and aged for six months in one-year-old barriques. Just 900 bottles produced.

Silky on the palate, with a touch of coconut oak and dried citrus peel. Fresh, balanced, with precise, cleansing acidity and a long finish. Not as deep or powerful as some, but there's great vibrancy, energy and drinkability. Grown on the sandy soils of Les Bédines, fermented then aged for four months in old barriques. 2,600 bottles produced.