White Châteauneuf-du-Pape: 20 of the best

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.

Scroll down for notes and scores for Walls’ top white Châteauneuf-du-Pape

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 a 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’.

Since 1985, most new plantings have been of Roussanne, the syndicat says, as it contributes flavour, richness and complexity. But winemakers are increasingly questioning its suitability in light of climate change. Laurent Bréchet, owner of Château de Vaudieu, is one.

He says ‘Roussanne is too sensitive to heat and sun,’ and is putting his money instead on the rarest variety of all: Picardan. There are only 2ha of Picardan in the appellation; Bréchet has 0.75ha in production, with plans to plant another hectare in 2025.

‘It’s like a white Cinsault,’ he says, ‘with big, juicy grapes and big bunches. It has very good balance, being not too powerful with lots of drinkability, fruity but not heavy.’

Bréchet has just made what he claims to be the first ever commercially released Châteauneuf-du- Pape made from 100% Picardan.

Not all winemakers share Bréchet’s enthusiasm for Picardan – of the rarer varieties, Coulon (son of Daniel Coulon, who shares ownership with his brother Frédéric) prefers Clairette Rose, Grenache Gris and Picpoul Gris – but the quality of Bréchet’s new cuvée proves Picardan’s potential.

Occasions to open white Châteauneuf-du-Pape

If you’re looking for a light, thirst-quenching aperitif – this isn’t it!

Textural and opulent, with only mellow acidity, white Châteauneuf is best served with food. Thankfully, it’s versatile, particularly well suited to richer, flavoursome styles of cuisine: roasted white meats like veal, pork or chicken; or meaty fish such as turbot. Mature wines work well with cream sauces, mushrooms and understated spicing.

White Châteauneuf is the perfect winter white.

Stylistic evolution

Blanc feels that in the 1990s there was too much oak influence in the region’s whites, but today the use of new barrels tends to be more measured. Due to its generosity and fullness of body, white Châteauneuf does benefit from a degree of oak ageing, as it helps to shape and focus a wine that can otherwise veer towards flabbiness.

As with any extensive appellation (recorded as 3,188ha in all in 2024), quality varies. Some wines can be heavy, others overly alcoholic, and in certain cuvées excessive new oak still dominates.

As with red Châteauneuf, it’s best to go on recommendation rather than buying blind. And don’t assume a producer of brilliant reds will necessarily make great whites, or vice versa.

Opulence, power and flamboyance are often celebrated in red wines, but more rarely in whites. Managing to balance these attributes is the key, and it’s not always easy in a wine that possesses only moderate natural acidity.

But the estates with the necessary skills – and the right soils to match their white varieties – can create freshness and drinkability through aromatics, tension and salinity. It’s these structural elements, along with some sustaining alcohol, that give these wines their prodigious ageing potential.

Though delicious in their first four to five years, the sweet spot is between 10 and 20 years, when their pear and quince fruits take on layers of toasted nuts, honey and intricate spicing. In Châteauneuf, ‘the whites age as well as the reds’, says Coulon.

White Châteauneuf with age: What to expect

White Châteauneuf-du-Pape can be enjoyed straight after bottling, and is delicious for the first four or five years from harvest. It can then go through an oxidative phase, so it’s safer to wait until after the 10-year mark before continuing.

At this point, the wine becomes increasingly complex. It will remain full-bodied but gradually lose a little puppy fat; the best will retain their salinity and tension. Flavours of honey, nuts, mushrooms and positive oxidative flavours blossom with time.

Growing prominence

Though white plantings are increasing, 8% is still a fairly small proportion compared to other Rhône appellations such as Lirac, which, according to the appellation, makes 12% whites.

But Blanc believes that 8% could increase to 20% over the next 10-15 years – partly with the intention of making white wines and partly for blending into reds ‘to preserve balance in the face of climate change’.

As the region’s relationship with white grapes evolves, and the quality of its white wines improves, it’s time for Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s whites to emerge from the shadows.

White wines from estates such as Domaine de Beaurenard, Château de Beaucastel and Famille Isabel Ferrando prove that they can certainly stand shoulder to shoulder with the region’s more famous reds.

Older vintages to drink now

Vintages from 2023 back to 2020 are delicious now, but if you have any 2019s through to 2016s, leave them to mature somewhere cool. The 2015s are starting to open up again, and the 2014s – a superlative year for white Châteauneuf – are extremely good now.

Between 10 and 20 years old is a sweet spot for those that enjoy a mature style, but great vintages like 2001 and 1999 will last much longer.

If you like white Rioja, white Hermitage or white Bordeaux, then you should try white Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Top white Châteauneuf-du-Pape:

The first 20 wines were featured in the December 2024 issue of Decanter, followed by 12 additional wines.

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