Château Capion, Blanc, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, 2016

This wine brings Roussanne grown on cool limestone soils together with around 30% Viognier and 10% Bourboulenc, entirely fermented in 500 litre Stockinger demi-muids. Hawthorne flowers, cream and quince fruits come together in a subtle, enticing scent. There’s peach, nectarine and more quince articulated with poise and restraint on the palate, combined with a velvet texture and an energetic, long finish. This is a concentrated, lean yet rich white with nothing obvious or overdrawn about it, as can so often be the case with Roussanne-based wines grown in the south. It has a stony cut to the finish, perhaps derived in some way from its limestone soils. Capion Blanc looks set to join the select band of fine Languedoc whites.