Côtes du Rhône Villages Valréas blanc Les Echalas 2023 Clos Bellane

The Côtes du Rhône Villages Valréas Blanc Les Echalas 2023 from Clos Bellane is the domaine's flagship white cuvée and most precious wine, scoring 92 points from Robert Parker Wine Advocate and 94 from Jeb Dunnuck in recent vintages. Standing at the crossroads between northern and southern Rhône, even touching Burgundy in character, this cuvée impresses through intensity and complexity. A confidential Roussanne of singular style, ample and refined, which the world's finest tasters have compared to great Saint-Joseph or Condrieu for its power and tension.

Terroir and vineyard

The Les Echalas parcel catches the first rays of the rising sun, facing due east on a steep slope at 410 metres altitude, on clayey-limestone terroir rich in stones of multiple calcite compositions. This exceptional altitude for the southern Rhône is the absolute key to this cuvée's character, bringing cool Alpine winds, chilly nights, and east-facing sun rather than west, allowing the Roussanne to ripen very slowly and late, progressively concentrating aromas of white truffle, quince, and honey whilst holding its freshness and natural acidity. This lieu-dit shelters 120 hives and a truffle bed, testament to preserved natural surroundings and remarkable biodiversity that reveals itself directly in the wine's complexity and depth. The varietal is 100 per cent Roussanne, certified organic since 2014. Harvest comes very late for the region, seeking perfect balance between truffle aromas and fruit power. Vinification includes time in oak barrels for one to three months depending on the cask and vintage, then ageing for 15 to 18 months on fine lees with regular stirring, to develop the full natural richness and complexity of the grape. Only 3,250 bottles produced annually.

Tasting profile

The robe is golden yellow and bright with green tinges, clear and luminous. The nose reveals a beautiful palette of aromas across varied and complex registers: honey, beeswax, quinces, preserved citrus, and white truffle compose a bouquet of depth and nobility truly remarkable for a regional appellation. Notes of honeysuckle, jasmine, and piña colada bring welcome floral and exotic freshness. On the palate, it opens ample and rich in flavour, a suave mouth where freshness seizes at the finish. The richness and length in the mouth, the harbingers of tertiary aromas found in great wines, suggest superb ageing potential. The texture is creamy and generous, carried by calcite minerality that structures everything with remarkable elegance and tension. The finish is long and persistent, with that return of truffle and honey which is the absolute signature of this Valréas terroir at 410 metres altitude.

The domaine

Stéphane Vedeau acquired Clos Bellane in 2010, a 60-hectare property in a single block with 48 hectares of vines, facing Mont Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail. Certified organic since 2014, the domaine also hosts a truffle bed and 120 hives. Chef Yannick Alléno reconciled himself with Châteauneuf-du-Pape through Stéphane Vedeau's wines, and Clos Bellane is unanimously recognised as one of the most singular and precise properties in the southern Rhône.

Food pairing

This Côtes du Rhône Villages Valréas Blanc Les Echalas pairs beautifully with fish in cream sauce, hand-dived scallops pan-fried in truffle butter, roasted turbot with beurre blanc, truffle-stuffed poultry, and spiced dishes like preserved lemon tagine or king prawn curry. It will also harmonise well with blue-veined cheese such as Roquefort or Bleu d'Auvergne. Served between 10 and 12 °C, with 20 minutes of decanting suggested, it will reveal all the truffled depth, natural richness, and Alpine minerality of a Roussanne of gastronomic singularity and absolute precision.