Chapoutier Vignes de Bila-Haut Blanc 2016

Michel Chapoutier is renowned for his brilliant Rhône wines, but this region alone couldn’t contain his brilliance. Since he took over the family estate in 1990, he has also acquired sites in Languedoc, Roussillon, Provence, Alsace – and far afield in Oregon, Australia’s Heathcote and Portugal. Domaine de Bila-Haut is his prize in the Roussillon’s Latour de France. Its rugged slopes include gneiss, schist, chalk and limestone, lending richness, depth, power and finesse. This white, made from Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Maccabeu, is pure, unoaked and full of intense white peach fruit. Robert Parker called it “seamless and incredibly drinkable – absolutely worth buying”, awarding it 89–91 points. It’s great with trout or roast chicken.