2017 Cotes du Rhone Blanc

Bottled in February, the 2017 Côtes du Rhône Blanc is vibrant and fresh (Christophe commented that he was surprised by the freshness in the 2017s) with outstanding notes of citrus, tangerine peel, and hints of minerality. Medium-bodied, elegant, and with a hint of minerality developing with time in the glass, it’s a no-brainer purchase and a great example of the quality of the whites from this great estate. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better run estate than that of Domaine de Janasse, which has been in the Sabon family since 1967. Today it’s the brother and sister pair of Christophe and Isabelle Sabon at the helm, and they continue to produce a bevy of sensational Côtes du Rhônes and Châteauneuf du Papes from their vines in the northeastern region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and around the village of Courthézon. While they’ve pulled back on the pedal-to-the-metal style of the early and mid-2000s, their wines today offer more purity, precision, and elegance while still possessing ample hedonistic fireworks. In short, these are brilliant wines that readers need to snatch up.