Fine Rhône Whites For Spring

This white Châteauneuf manages a delightful balancing act between ripe fruit and freshness. A floral stone-fruit nose gives way to confit lemon, pear and just a hint of fennel.

Very expressive northern Rhône viognier, fragrant, ripe and fruity and without heaviness. A stylish aperitif or a must with scallops.

Southern Rhône white made from very ripe marsanne and roussanne with a little clairette and grenache in support, this comes from old vines and was partly vinified and aged in foudres and egg-shaped vats. An ambitious white Cairanne, complex and with rich-tasting fruit.

Valreas Comme un Saphir Roussanne Clos Bellane 2022

Limestone soil and the cooling influences of Alpine foothills make for good conditions to make great white wines, as this tightly constructed marsanne from an up-and-coming estate proves. They seek to challenge perceptions of white Rhône, so think Loire or Burgundy here.

Ex-ballerina Cécille Dusserre makes a lovely clairette-dominated white Vacqueyras and unsurprisingly this has elegance, poise and balance with a flavour that offers hints of fennel and citrus. The 2022 is round with some complexity that is in part due to ageing in barrel. Cécille manages some 50 acres of vines without recourse to herbicides or pesticides and the domaine has been certified organic since 2014.