8 Rare, Captivating Chateauneuf Du Pape Blanc Wines (Taste, Prices)

by Anthony Zhang

Chateauneuf du Pape may be synonymous with red wine - but the region also produces Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc - one of the rarest, most delicious white wines in France!

Although Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc wines are lesser-known, they’re always consistent in quality and have excellent aging potential.

In this article, we’ll cover the top 8 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc bottles you should try, taste, prices, how these wines are made, food pairings, investment potential, and more.

Top 8 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Bottles to Buy in 2023

Here are the eight best Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc bottles every wine lover should try:

2010 Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve Blanc
2009 Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve Blanc
2018 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes
2016 Domaine Chante Cigale Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
2013 Domaine des Senechaux Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
2009 Chateau de Fonsalette Cotes du Rhone Blanc Reserve
2016 Domaine Chante Cigale Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Extrait
2018 Domaine La Barroche Chateauneuf-du-Pape Pure Blanc

1. 2010 Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Blanc ($789)

This 2010 white Chateauneuf du Pape opens with perfumed aromas of poached pear, lemon curd, and dried papaya. On the palate, this oily-textured wine offers stone fruit and honey flavor notes with a flinty minerality.

2. 2009 Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Blanc ($725)

This complex white wine has nutty and spicy flavors, accompanied by sandalwood and roasted nut aromas.

3. 2018 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes ($172)

This medium-bodied Beaucastel has honeysuckle, white peach, and forest floor aromas. The palate offers delicate acidity with quince fruit and citric mineral flavors.

4. 2016 Domaine Chante Cigale Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc ($51)

This is a fruit-forward vintage that opens with a bouquet of green apple and honeydew melon aroma. The palate introduces bursting flavors of rich white peach, apricot, and orange blossom.

5. 2013 Domaine des Senechaux Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc ($78)

This pale gold French wine has a nose of lemon zest and stone fruit. The palate lures you in with tropical fruit and oak flavor hints and flinty minerality.

6. 2009 Chateau de Fonsalette Cotes du Rhone Blanc Reserve ($231)

This Southern Rhone wine has medium acidity and classic tropical fruit and pear flavors. On the nose, this dark yellow wine has fragrant floral and nutty aromas.

7. 2016 Domaine Chante Cigale Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Extrait ($73)

On the palate, this full-bodied white Chateauneuf du Pape is creamy with pear and toasted caramel flavors. On the nose, there are aromas of nectarine, limestone, and white pepper.

8. 2018 Domaine La Barroche Chateauneuf du Pape Pure Blanc ($118)

This French wine has soft acidity and creamy, ripe fruit flavors with a touch of oak. On the nose, there are terrific aromas of caramelized peach, orange blossom, and toasted spices.

Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc: Production, Grapes Used, and How It Is Made

The Chateauneuf du Pape appellation in the Southern Rhone Valley region of France produces more wine than the entire Northern Rhone region.

But, only 7% of the wines made in this region are white. In fact, only one in every 16 bottles produced in the region is a white wine.

Interestingly, unlike other high-quality white wines, Chateauneuf du Pape blanc can be made from a few different grape varieties.

There are nine white wine grape varieties allowed in the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation:

Grenache Blanc
Roussanne
Bourboulenc
Clairette
Clairette Rose
Grenache Gris
Picaridin
Picpoul Blanc
Picpoul Gris

However, most Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc wines are a blend of four white varieties only: Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, and the Clairette.

The region also grows 13 red grape varieties, including Grenache Noir, Mourvedre, and Cinsault.

How’s the white wine made?

Producers in Southern Rhone use a manual grape harvest method. For fermentation and maturation, they use:

Stainless steel or concrete vats: For fresher and more acidic wine
Oak barrels (barriques): Resulting in more complex, oaky flavors

Food Pairings With Chateauneuf Du Pape Blanc

Generally, Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc wines pair exquisitely with fish dishes like salmon, lobster, and tuna.

You can also pair a delicious glass of Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc with veal, pork, and soft cheese.

Should You Invest in Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Wines?

If you’re looking to invest in fine wines, it’s a good idea to partner with a reliablewine investment company like Vinovest. With their AI-based platform, you can buy, store, and even sell your precious wines with ease.

Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc wine has a good aging potential and can be stored in your wine cabinet for up to 10 years.

These wines have a reasonably good price appreciation. For example, the 2010 Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Blanc price increased by 62%, from $486 in 2020 to $789 in 2021.

Additionally, Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc wines also perform exceptionally at auctions. At a Christie’s auction in 2008:

A bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc, Chateau de Beaucastel Roussane Vieilles Vignes was sold for $1,016.
A bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc, Chateau Rayas Vintage 1990 was sold for $1,758

But what makes these French wines so expensive?

Since only a small portion of the region’s vineyards grow white grape varieties, there’s a limited number of Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc bottles produced every year.

On top of that, the vineyard land costs approximately $589,000 per hectare.