La Fleur Solitaire Côtes du Rhône Blanc, Boutinot 2024

It's worth knowing that Côtes du Rhône comes in white as well as red, and the good ones are well worth getting to know. La Fleur Solitaire – a blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier – shows off the style well. Ripe orchard fruit sits alongside a clear hint of fennel and herbs, with very subtle nuttiness from discreet oak. A touch of stony minerality keeps it fresh, and the palate is broad, textured and properly mouthfilling.

Just the thing for a sunny afternoon, it works brilliantly with barbecued prawns, grilled sea bass, or lemony squid - the bright fruit and creamy texture match the smoky zestiness of the food well.

Domaine Boutinot Rhône may only date back to 2010, but the team behind it has been sourcing and making wine in the southern Rhône for more than thirty years. Their home is now in the hills above Cairanne, where old-vine Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan are planted across a patchwork of clay-limestone slopes, stony terraces and sandy, saffre-rich soils. Low-intervention is their style, with native yeasts, long periods of cuvaison and gentle handling in the cellar, and a focus on blends that capture the character of the Côtes du Rhône, its villages and the Cairanne cru.