2016 Chateauneuf du Pape la Fontaine Blanc
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Tasting notes
Vivid straw-gold. An intensely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe pear, candied orange, smoky minerals and chamomile, along with a deeper suggestion of honey. Energetic, palate-staining citrus and orchard fruit flavors show outstanding clarity and slowly put on weight and spread out with air. The mineral note reappears on the finish, which shows a noteworthy combination of richness and sharply defined, bright, filigreed character.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
100% Roussanne. Baked apple, lovely cinnamon spice, punchy acidic frame and a long, nutty finish. Really enjoyable and elegant – flavoursome, yet shapely. Nicely done. Might convince someone who’s not normally a fan. (RH)
The flagship 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc La Fontaine is a more substantial, serious effort that offers notes of caramelized citrus, brioche, honeysuckle and orange blossom. Rich, layered and concentrated, yet also fresh and lively, it's a terrific white that's going to sing on the dinner table. Drink it anytime over the coming 4-5 years (it will keep even longer).
The full-bodied, creamy-textured and amazingly plush 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc La Fontaine is a blend of barrel-fermented and tank-fermented Roussanne. The aromas of honey, vanilla and bergamot are intense, as are the pineapple notes on the palate. The wine finishes long, given definition by briny and bitter notes. My advice is to opt for caution when aging these big whites and drink them while the fruit is still paramount.