2017 Vaudieu Chateauneuf du Pape Clos de Belvedere

Vivid yellow. Ripe orchard fruit and melon scents are energized by a zesty citrus fruit nuance. Weighty and broad on entry, offering intense nectarine and poached pear flavors that become livelier and spicier as the wine gets some air. Shows a suave blend of richness and energy and finishes impressively long, with impressive clarity and a late touch of florality.

While good, I found the 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Clos du Belvédère Blanc to be lean and firm, with sublet brioche and stemmy notes, lots of green citrus, medium body, and a clipped finish. Made from 100% Grenache Blanc brought up in barrel, it lacks the depth and richness that this cuvée normally shows. Located just across the hill from Rayas, Chateau de Vaudieu continues to make a ripe, sexy, quasi-modern style of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. They release a number of cuvées, most of which are small parcel releases intended to highlight a specific terroir. These are powerful, rich wines that never lose their sense of balance and purity.

All barrel-fermented Grenache Blanc, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Clos du Belvedere is an excellent effort and a fine successor to the 2016. Delicate hints of pencil shavings frame bright nectarine and tangerine fruit flavors in this full-bodied wine. It's rich, silky in texture and long, picking up hints of lime zest on the finish.