Cuvée A Tempo Blanc

This was a true «winemaker's vintage», in which hard work in the vineyard played a decisive role in the face of contrasting climatic conditions. After an early start to the season, a cooler, wetter and less sunny summer slowed the cycle, leading to a late harvest from mid-September onwards. The grapes harvested reached optimum ripeness, with a fine balance between phenolic and technological ripeness. The white wines offer good acidity, finesse and ageing potential. Overall, 2014 is a well-balanced vintage, favoring finesse, freshness and fruit expression. This is the first vintage of the A Tempo cuvée.

The 2015 vintage at Châteauneuf-du-Pape stands out for its generosity, both in terms of quality and quantity. A hot, dry summer, punctuated by timely rainfall, enabled optimal ripening of the grapes, resulting in a perfectly controlled harvest. The 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc exude fragrances of white and yellow flowers (acacia, lime blossom), golden hues and generous, fruity, full-bodied mouthfeel. Notes of exotic fruits and white peaches are complemented by lovely, refreshing bitters and spicy, aniseed finishes. Balanced, complex and accessible, this vintage combines power and elegance, with excellent ageing potential, while remaining very seductive in its youth.

A fabulous vintage! Ideal weather conditions, with a hot, dry summer and wide temperature variations, enabled the grapes to ripen to perfection, in perfect health. The harvest, spread over several weeks, produced grapes of the highest quality, requiring very little sorting. The wines are distinguished by their aromatic intensity, complexity and purity. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape white are fine and vinous, with optimal ripeness and freshness thanks to naturally low pH levels. The Grenaches express aromas of white and yellow-fleshed fruit (peach, pear, quince) and white flowers. The highly expressive Roussannes reveal scents of exotic fruit, peach and apricot. Thanks to a very fine late season, clairette and bourboulenc, two late-ripening grape varieties, were harvested at full maturity, bringing their elegant notes to the blend.

The 2017 vintage at Châteauneuf-du-Pape was characterized by a hot, very dry climate, giving rise to an early year and low yields. Despite these extreme conditions, the health of the grapes was excellent, enabling a rapid, high-quality harvest. The blanc wines offer freshness, vivacity and expressive floral notes. All in all, 2017 is a concentrated, balanced and high-quality vintage, marked by aromatic richness and fine tannins, despite limited production.

The 2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape vintage is distinguished by contrasting climatic conditions and high-quality wines. After an exceptionally rainy start to the year, marked by heavy mildew pressure, the hot, dry summer and favorable month of September enabled optimal ripening of the grapes and a serene harvest. The wines are beautifully balanced and long on the palate. The blanc are rich and aromatic, with notes of citrus, exotic fruit and white-fleshed fruit. Overall, the 2018 vintage combines maturity, elegance and ageing potential.

Lots of color and structure: a superb vintage. It was characterized by perfect health and generally hot, very dry weather conditions. After a moderate spring in terms of rainfall, the scorching summer and water stress produced small but highly concentrated grapes. The rains in mid-September enabled the grapes to reach a good level of ripeness and balance. The blanc are vinous, long on the palate, with notes of exotic fruit, peach and citrus. Overall, 2019 is a powerful, structured and elegant vintage, marked by great aromatic purity and good ageing potential.

The 2020 vintage is full-bodied and well-balanced, with great ageing potential. It stands out from the powerful 2019 vintage for its balance, freshness and roundness. Marked by an early vegetative cycle and globally favorable climatic conditions - with replenished water reserves, a warm summer without excess and some welcome rain - the year enabled optimal ripening of the grapes. The early, serene harvest was carried out under excellent sanitary conditions, yielding grapes of the highest quality. The blanc are seductive with their liveliness, citrus notes and long finish. Accessible in its youth while retaining magnificent ageing potential, 2020 is a harmonious vintage, combining delicacy and balance.

Marked by demanding climatic conditions, 2021 returned to a more «classic» style, reminiscent of that of some fifteen years ago. Despite an exceptional spring frost in April, damage remained limited thanks to the influence of the wind and the Rhône, preserving most of the vineyard. After a mild winter and cool spring, the summer was not excessively hot, allowing the grapes to ripen gradually, supported by timely rainfall. The longer vegetative cycle led to a later harvest in excellent health. The wines have moderate degrees of alcohol, good acidity and good color intensity. They thus offer a balanced profile, combining freshness and structure, with good ageing potential, while remaining accessible in their youth.

An extraordinary vintage, with low yields but excellent wine quality. This vintage stands out for its exceptional earliness, low yields and excellent wine quality. Marked by a very dry and hot climate from spring to summer, with a significant water deficit, the year put the vines to the test, revealing a vintage of resilience in which each plot expressed itself in a singular way. Some welcome rains, particularly in mid-August, and the Mistral wind helped to keep the grapes in good health, despite stormy spells sometimes accompanied by hail. This extraordinary vintage produced concentrated, high-quality wines, reflecting both the richness of the climate and the skill of the winemakers.

2023 fully illustrates the richness and uniqueness of its terroirs, with fine, long wines marked by a beautiful salinity. Despite a dry winter, the late spring rains favored optimal vine development, while the hot, dry summer enabled the vines to reach excellent ripeness, with generous yields. The health of the vineyards was preserved by the Mistral wind, and the harvest produced grapes of excellent quality and perfect ripeness. The blanc wines stand out for their balance, aromatic richness and notes of citrus and ripe fruit. The 2023 vintage thus stands out as a great one, reflecting both the expertise of the winemakers and the appellation's remarkable ability to adapt to climatic challenges.