Matt Walls, Heather Dougherty and Alexandre Freguin tasted 105 wines, with 14 Outstanding and 34 Highly recommended
Southern Rhône cru whites: Panel tasting scores
105 wines tasted
Outstanding 14
Highly recommended 34
Recommended 41
Commended 16
Learn more about Decanter's blind-tasting process and scoring system.
Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest release white wines from any of the southern Rhône crus (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueyras, Cairanne, Lirac, Gigondas and Laudun)
‘A clear increase of precision and consistency’
These southern Rhône cru whites perfectly encapsulate why the style is growing both in popularity and availability, backed up by increasing quality.
This tasting comes at a transformative time for southern Rhône whites.
Production has never been higher, demand is growing year on year and winemakers are raising their game.
The number of crus producing white wine is also ticking up; Gigondas introduced them from the 2023 vintage, and from 2026, Vinsobres will, too.
It came as no surprise that Châteauneuf- du-Pape fielded the highest number of Outstanding wines and the three highest scorers.
But all appellations managed at least one Outstanding wine – apart from Laudun that is, which ‘needs to show some more ambition’, according to Heather Dougherty.
Outside Châteauneuf is where the best value is to be found.
It pays to spread your net widely; we found excellent wines from all over the region, particularly from Gigondas and Vacqueyras.
Alexandre Freguin noted ‘a clear increase of precision and consistency from all the appellations’.
Vintage breakdown
Most of the wines were from recent vintages: 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The 2023s were ripe, concentrated and drinking well; these are broadly wines to drink young.
The 2024 vintage was even better – it’s an outstanding year for whites, ‘smooth and silky across the board… very consistent and harmonious’, said Freguin. The best will age beautifully.
‘Producers have been excited about 2025 from the word go and we saw the beginnings of why,’ said Dougherty.
Though not quite the equal of 2024, they’re already showing their class, with little in the way of excess alcohol or heaviness, despite the heat.
But Freguin pointed out that these are often wines that benefit from long lees ageing, so it’s likely that the best wines of 2025 are yet to be bottled. An exciting prospect.
It’s not just the crus that are developing their whites.
The 11 Côtes du Rhône named villages, which aren’t currently permitted to produce white wines, have made a group appeal to the appellation authorities to relax this regulation and it’s looking likely to be accepted.
Lovers of textural, food-friendly whites have plenty more good things coming their way.
Without grape varieties on the label to refer to, it can be hard to work out what to pair with southern Rhône whites.
They lack the acidity of popular grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc and the buttery richness of Chardonnay but they’re wines of real weight and character that can take many types of meat, fish and vegetables in their stride.
I’ve enjoyed white Rhônes with roast chicken, red mullet and rich vegetable dishes such as roast celeriac and whole roast cauliflower. They’re as good with a lamb and apricot tagine as a fat pork chop.
They’re excellent with tricky-to-match vegetable soups and the multiplicity of small plates that you find in virtually every Middle Eastern-influenced restaurant these days.
And if we’re talking white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which attracted the highest scores, you can’t do better than roast turbot, especially if you’re lucky enough to lay your hands on a wine with a bit of bottle age.
That said, no one’s going to turn their nose up at some grilled lobster or pan-fried scallops, or a bouillabaisse come to that…
See all notes and scores from the southern Rhône cru whites tasting
The judges
Southern Rhône cru whites panel tasting results
Wines were tasted blind
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