2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Clos du Belvedere Blanc
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Tasting notes
Pale gold. Heady orchard and pit fruit scents are lifted and sharpened by suggestions of chalky minerals, honeysuckle and lemon pith. Silky and penetrating on the palate, offering intense nectarine, pear and Meyer lemon flavors and subtle hints of honey and brioche. Picks up a smoky nuance with air and finishes impressively long and seamless, with resonating stoniness and excellent clarity.
Critic scores
Average Score
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
100% Grenache Blanc. Smoke, clove spice and fleshy peach fruit. The palate manages to fight back against the oak to give just enough balance, and there is good concentration through the finish. Lovely texture and pith on the palate. Excellent. (RH)
Made from 100% Grenache Blanc, the special cuvée 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Clos du Belvédère Blanc is more fresh and lively, with vibrant citrus, lime and salty minerality flowing to a medium-bodied, fresh, beautifully pure white that has high acidity, solid mid-palate density, and a clean finish. It's going to be even better this time next year. This is another great lineup from Chateau de Vaudieu, who have risen to the top of the heap recently. They make a perfumed, elegant style of wine, and have started releasing numerous single parcel wine from vines all located around the estate. While the 2016s are a clear step up, the 2015s has terrific purity and elegance.
The charming 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Clos du Belvedere is all Grenache Blanc, barrel-fermented and matured for eight months in used oak. The aromas are tight and citrusy, ranging from lime to pineapple, but on the palate the wine is honeyed, full-bodied and rich, with a long, briny finish. It should drink well for at least a couple of years.