Guillaume Gonnet, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Belle Amie, Southern Rhône, France, 2023

Producer Profile

The energetic and charismatic Guillaume Gonnet is not your average Rhône winemaker.

Extremely open in his attitude, his curious, boundary-challenging approach extends far beyond wine. He has travelled to the far ends of the earth, revelling in the opportunity to surf some of the best waves in the world while learning his craft in various Australian and New Zealand regions. Returning to the Rhône with his Australian wife Kelly, Guillaume has put similar energy into his family estate and his new-found enthusiasm for Grenache-based wines. Pursuing biodynamics wherever possible, allowing the fruit to express itself freely through hands-off winemaking and displaying a fascination for the varying soils of the Rhône in his diverse wines, he’s just the sort of restless creative that we love to work with.

Viticulture

Hand picked 50 to 90 year old vines, grown in the Cru du Bois vineyard on sand, clay and limestone soils with pebbles near the surface at a density of 3500 vines per ha.

Winemaking

Vinification in stainless steel tanks, and no malolactic fermentation. Ageing is done without oak in stainless steel.

Tasting Note

Gorgeous stony, mineral notes, citrus, and white flowers. With age, the wine develops honey, nutty aromas.

Food Matching

Seafood, rabbit, chicken and pork; perfect with roquefort cheese.