Brotte Les Hauts de Barville Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc

• 91 points, Vinous

Eyes: Bright, intense golden yellow
Nose: In youth, fresh with notes of pears and white peaches, after 2 years of aging, smoky, spicy, and brioche developing into ripe mango, melon, and floral touch of jasmine
Mouth: When young, soft on entry with a lovely balance between roundness and minerality, hints of pear and brioche. After 2 years aging, great breadth, complexity, exotic fruit, melon, acacia honey, vanilla, slight salted butter caramel, exceptional length

Since 1931, five generations of the Brotte family have been carefully and lovingly crafting refined, elegantly fruity and spicy wines with a remarkably smooth character. Its in-depth knowledge of the Grenache varietal, the terroirs and the art of vinification and ageing, mainly in 100-year-old oak foudres, endow all the Brotte wines with their distinctive style.

Pair with salmon in a hollandaise sauce and asparagus tips, a creamy risotto with porcini mushrooms, or a wing of skate cooked in fresh butter.