Clos Saint-Jean Blanc Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2024

One of Châteauneuf-du-Pape's most storied estates, Clos Saint-Jean has been bottling its own wine since 1910 – before the appellation officially existed. Their white is one of the rarest things they make, with historically under 350 cases produced each year. The 2024 has 94 points, and for under $60 (20 bucks off its retail price), with free shipping on 2 or more, you’ll be thrilled you gave this one a shot.

Clos Saint-Jean traces back to 1900, when Edmund Tacussel planted roots in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and began bottling estate wine in 1910 – decades before the region became France's first official AOC in 1936. For most of the last century, they were an insider's name, until the legendary 2003 vintage caught Robert Parker's attention and turned the estate into one of the most sought-after addresses in the Southern Rhône. Today they're firmly on the short list of the appellation's best – and their white is the rarest jewel in the box.

The 2024 is an equal-parts blend of 25% each Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Clairette, and Bourboulenc, with the malolactic fermentation deliberately blocked and the wine raised mostly in used Burgundy barrels. That's a fancy way of saying they've done everything possible to keep it fresh, precise, and mineral rather than heavy – no small feat for a white grown under the relentless Rhône sun. The estate's 2023 white earned 96 points from Jeb Dunnuck, who called it one of the finest whites in the entire appellation, and this 2024 follows the same exacting recipe.

If you're into the idea of ripe Meyer lemon and white peach tangled up with lychee and a hint of mandarin zest… this is your wine. There's crushed river stone underneath it all, a cool streak of garden mint on the lift, and the faintest brush of toasted almond and beeswax from those Burgundy barrels. The texture is silky and rounded across the middle, then it snaps taut on the finish with a saline, citrus-pith freshness that keeps you reaching for the next sip. It’s layered with intriguing and delightful flavors that keep you on your toes, yet the glass slips away entirely too quickly. Be sure you grab at least 2 bottles for free shipping – although this one will age for up to a couple of decades, so laying down a few wouldn’t be a bad idea at all!

FOOD PAIRINGS: This white could use something with richness and a little decadence – I’m running with seared scallops in brown butter with some roasted zucchini sprinkled in calabrian chili oil and goat cheese.