Bottled just two weeks before I tasted it, the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape La Reine des Bois was nevertheless impressive, showcasing lovely cherry and berry fruit. Medium to full-bodied, it was quite tart and edgy, with rather drying tannins (possibly related to its recent bottling), but it showed ample concentration and length.

• Country: France
• Region: Rhone Valley
• Appellation: Chateauneuf Du Pape
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red

Varietal

Red Rhone Blend

The Rhone region of France has been producing superb quality white blended wines for centuries, and is a region highly respected and esteemed around the world, with plenty of New World countries keen to emulate the styles and techniques displayed by the historic wineries and skilled vintners of the area. The secret to the Rhone’s success when it comes to blended white wines is the careful and expert selection of certain grape varietals, which each lend special features to the blended wine and bring balance and harmony to the bottle. Most commonly, blended white Rhone wines feature no more than two grapes of either the Viognier, Rousanne, Marsanne or Grenache Blanc varietals, and are renowned for their exceptional flavors and highly aromatic, floral character.