Château La Verrerie, Hautes Collines Viognier 2024

Take the poise of northern Rhône Viognier and filter it through a higher-altitude Provençal lens and you get this - stone-fruit ripeness and floral charm with a lighter, fresher touch. Night harvesting preserves the perfume and clarity of the fruit, while gentle lees ageing adds texture without weight. Apricot, peach and honeysuckle notes lead, with subtle spice and a faintly saline edge that keeps it bright. Here the Luberon's cooler slopes bring finesse and balance to a variety known for its natural richness and aromatic generosity.

Good with mildly spiced dishes such as coconut curry or Moroccan tagine, where its aromatic fruit and supple texture come into play.

Château la Verrerie is situated in the Luberon in southern France, which while technically part of the Rhône wine producing area, is geographically in Provence which is borne out in the character of the wines they produce. The estate was originally purchased by Jean-Louis Descours back in 1981 who, along with his son Gérard, spent considerable time, effort and money in renovating the facilities and acquiring new vineyards. Currently they have 48 hectares of vines which are farmed organically, receiving certification in 2013. They produce reds and rosés from Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan and white wines from 7 hectares of Roussanne, Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Bourboulenc. Today Christopher Descours the grandson of Jean-Louis runs the estate alongside technical director Valentine Tardieu-Vitali.