2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc

For all the Roussanne that Isabelle and Christophe Sabon use for their white wines (often around 40% for the traditional bottling and up to 70% for the Prestige), these wines consistently show brightness and elegance, with the balance to age. The Prestige bottling, which is made in very small quantities – around 100 cases in most vintages – is fermented and aged in new demi-muids, but its oak component is always under control, even when the wine is first released. It’s also among the very best wines of the appellation, vintage after vintage. That said, the “basic” white Châteauneuf is also worth hunting down, as its quality matches up to plenty of other producers’ luxe bottlings that sell for twice as much money and even more.