“Clarendon”, Côtes de Provence Blanc

Like its rosé counterpart, the “Clarendon” Blanc is produced from Gavoty’s oldest vines—in this case, Rolle planted in 1981. While no heavier than their “Grand Classique” cuvée, this is both more blatant in its minerality and more multilayered, with fruits verging on the exotic corseted by a palpable sense of appetizing bitterness. Vinified and raised in cement and steel, “Clarendon” Blanc relies on the quality of its fruit rather than any trompe l’oeil of élevage to express its underlying complexity. This is a wine that will blossom in the cellar, and it stands as one of the greatest white wines from Provence we have encountered.