Notify me
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “Clos la Roquète”
Frédéric & Daniel BrunierWhite wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape don’t have much of a reputation as a summer wine. I’ve never seen anyone with a bottle at the beach, or dropping ice cubes into a glass on a sunny terrace. It’s true they can often be quite rich, needing something equally rich and hearty for accompaniment. Thankfully, there are exceptions to every rule, and this is one. Roquète has a creamy, toasty side, balanced out with loads of citrus, minerality, and its signature anise-seed finish. That means you can really go glass after glass, be it beach, terrace (hold the ice cubes, though), sunshine, wherever . . . and you’ll always find yourself reaching for more.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 35% Clairette, 35% Roussanne, 30% Grenache Blanc |
Appellation: | Châteauneuf-du-Pape |
Country: | France |
Region: | Southern Rhône |
Producer: | Domaine la Roquète |
Winemaker: | Frédéric & Daniel Brunier |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1987, 3 ha |
Soil: | Sand on red clay and galets roulés |
Aging: | Wine ages in cuve and in barrel for 8 months before bottling |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2019 Côtes du Vivarais Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
Gorgeous and lifted aromas of black pepper, briny black olive, and violets.
2021 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
France | Southern Rhône
An abundance of violets and velvet, amid a cooling sensation of a cold spring on a hot day.
2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”
France | Southern Rhône
The majesty of the La Crau vineyard is encapsulated in this wine. I can't think of a grander expression of Southern Rhone terroir to be enjoyed this winter.
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Piedlong”
France | Southern Rhône
At once robust, succulent, and elegant, this red offers immediate pleasure and age-worthy promise.
2021 Tavel Rosé HALF BOTTLE
France | Southern Rhône
This dark, autumnal rosé is a beacon of tradition in a sea of paler styles.
2022 Ventoux Rouge “Mégaphone”
France | Southern Rhône
Fragrant aromas of lavender and garrigue, notes of perfectly ripe black cherries, hints of black olive and stones.
Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra
France | Southern Rhône
Full-bodied yet delicate, infused with the joie de vivre of the south of France.
2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”
France | Southern Rhône
A masterpiece of old-vine Grenache—decant, or hold up to ten years in a cool place.
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “Sierra du Sud”
France | Southern Rhône
A pure Syrah bottling offering wild flavors of the Provençal countryside gently wrapped in a thick coat of tooth-staining deep purple fruit.
2022 Tavel Rosé
France | Southern Rhône
Stony, spicy, and dense, it evokes red berries, watermelon, and garrigue and offers a beautiful accompaniment to a wide range of dishes.
About The Producer
Domaine la Roquète
In September 1986, René Laugier wanted to retire but had no successors to take over La Roquette , his domaine in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. When Daniel and Frédéric Brunier bought the domaine, it was a logical choice. The brothers had been proving their worth as rising young stars of the appellation, and the Brunier family, proprietor of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, had a long history of working tough soils—they farm La Crau, which boasts some of the most challenging vineyard terrain and most pedigreed soils of Châteauneuf. Daniel and Frédéric purchased twenty-nine hectares of vineyards at La Roquète. The brothers replanted the Clos La Roquète to white in 1987; this is currently the only wine bottled under the La Roquète label.
More from Southern Rhône or France
2022 Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “Clos la Roquète”
Frédéric & Daniel Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” MAGNUM
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2021 Vacqueyras “Un Sang Blanc”
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux France | Southern Rhône
2022 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
2016 Cairanne
Domaine Catherine Le Gœuil France | Southern Rhône
Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra
Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2021 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2021 Tavel Rosé HALF BOTTLE
Château de Trinquevedel France | Southern Rhône
2022 Vin de France Rosé “Au Petit Bonheur”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2022 Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “Clos la Roquète”
Frédéric & Daniel Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” MAGNUM
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2021 Vacqueyras “Un Sang Blanc”
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux France | Southern Rhône
2022 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
2016 Cairanne
Domaine Catherine Le Gœuil France | Southern Rhône
Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra
Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2021 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2021 Tavel Rosé HALF BOTTLE
Château de Trinquevedel France | Southern Rhône
2022 Vin de France Rosé “Au Petit Bonheur”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171