2023 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc

La Revue du Vin de France is not wrong when it writes: “[The Domaine’s white wines] regularly establish themselves among the most beautiful of the appellation; cultivation has a lot to do with it.” Marcoux’s Châteauneuf Blanc is one of the great whites of France’s south. It is atypically Roussanne-dominant (up to 70%), blended with Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc and Clairette. Most of the Roussanne and Bourboulenc hails from two parcels: Les Esqueirons, where the cool, limestone-based soils are perfect for white grapes, and Les Bosquets, where the Bourboulenc brings citric freshness and drive to the layered Roussanne. The remaining composition comes from parcels of Grenache Blanc and Clairette, which are co-planted in predominantly red sites. Marcoux currently farms only one hectare of white grapes, although another fifth of a hectare of Clairette will come on stream soon. In the cellar, the grapes are pressed as whole bunches, and ferment naturally in mostly steel tanks. An ever-increasing portion of the wine is now raised in low-impact Stockinger cask, and some sandstone amphorae have entered the mix.