2024 Reserve Mont Redon Cotes du Rhone, Northern Rhone

Réserve Mont Redon comes from the team behind Château Mont Redon, one of the historic estates of Châteauneuf du Pape. The Abeille and Fabre families have guided the property for generations, with extensive vineyard holdings across the Southern Rhône. The Réserve range is the more relaxed face of the house, made for immediate enjoyment while retaining the Mediterranean character and polish you would expect from such an experienced Rhône producer.

The 2024 Côtes du Rhône Blanc draws on the traditional white varieties of the Southern Rhône, where warm Mediterranean sunshine builds flavour while the mistral and cooler nights help retain freshness. Rather than pushing richness too far, the style is centred on ripe orchard and stone fruit, gentle floral notes and a savoury herbal edge. There is enough texture for food but plenty of freshness to keep the bottle moving.

Pale straw gold with white peach, ripe pear and yellow apple followed by lemon and honeysuckle. Fresh fennel, almond and a little ginger add savoury detail. The palate is supple and gently rounded, with pear and stone fruit through the middle balanced by fresh citrus acidity. Lemon peel, almond and subtle Mediterranean herbs linger through the clean, dry finish.

Grilled prawns with saffron, lemon and garlic suit its sunny Rhône personality beautifully. Roast snapper with fennel, scallops with ginger, zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta or cauliflower with tahini and toasted almonds would also give the wine plenty to play with. A platter of grilled seafood and vegetables sounds about the right level of complication.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2031.