Domaine la Réméjeanne Côtes du Rhône Les Arbousiers Blanc 2022

Certified organic. Les Arbousiers is not Réméjeanne’s most expensive white—that gong goes to the powerful, Roussanne-dominant Les Églantiers—yet we prefer this wine. It’s a blend of the estate’s oldest white plantings, including a parcel of Bourboulenc planted in the early 1970s by Olivier Klein’s grandfather, François. This year’s blend comprises Clairette (30%), Roussanne (30%), Bourboulenc (20%), Viognier (10%) and Marsanne (10%), with the Bourboulenc injecting a level of freshness that belies its apparently minor role.

The grapes are pressed as whole bunches and ferment with natural yeasts—the Roussanne in 1800-litre foudre and the remaining grapes in concrete vats (although Olivier has been experimenting with amphora from this vintage onwards). The wines rest on their fine lees for six months before blending and bottling. Given the age of the vines and varietal makeup, there is more depth and silken texture here, yet it boasts tension courtesy of the bright, sustained acidity. Dripping with floral, garrigue and light honeycomb depths, expect a gracefully orchard-fruited palate sculpted by the pulse of fruit-saturated acidity and a long and textured finish. It is a wine that underscores the great value you still find in France if you know where to look.