Malcolm Jolley finds a great value Côtes-du-Rhône white wine at the LCBO…

Les Vignerons du Castelas Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc 2017 – $15.95 | LCBO# 142125

When I was in Provence a few years ago on a wine trip in the Southern Rhône a lot of producers I met seemed to be as proud of their white wines as their reds. That was in Châteauneuf-du-Pape no less, and there was lots in those white wines for them to be proud of. Lively fruit forward whites with good acidity and a fleshy roundness. Not too far from Châteuneuf, closer to Avignon is the village of Rochefort-du-Gard where the local co-operative makes the Vignerons du Castelas Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc 2017 out of a blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Clairette. It’s a bone dry white with a slightly floral nose and lovely peachy character with enough acidity to keep things bright and alive. At $16 it’s certainly worth a try.