Guillaume Gonnet, Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Belle Amie 2023

Gorgeous stony, mineral, peach, melon, citrus and white flowers notes followed by a rich, creamy texture on the palate and a lingering finish. With age, the wine develops honey, nutty aromas. Pair with seafood, rabbit, chicken and pork; perfect with roquefort cheese. Hand picked 50 to 90 year old biodynamically farmed vines, grown in the Cru du Bois vineyard on sand, clay and limestone soils with pebbles near the surface at a density of 3,500 vines per ha. Vinification in stainless steel tanks, and no malolactic fermentation. Ageing is done without oak in stainless steel. 40% Grenache Blanc, 30% Clairette, 30% other varieties.

 The energetic and charismatic Guillaume Gonnet is not your average Rhône winemaker. Extremely open in his attitude, his curious, boundary challenging approach extends beyond wine. He travelled to the far ends of the earth, revelling in the opportunity to surf some of the best waves in the world while learning his craft in various Australian and New Zealand regions. Returning to the Rhône, now with his Australian wife Kelly, Guillaume has shown similar energy for his family estate and for his own nascent project. This land locked surfer may be miles from the ocean but is happily riding the wave of new found enthusiasm for Grenache based wines. Pursuing biodynamics wherever possible, allowing his fruit to express itself freely through hands-off winemaking and displaying his fascination for the varying soils of the Rhône through his diverse range of wines, he's just the sort of restless creative that we love to work with.