Leading off the whites and checking in as mix of 90% Roussanne and 10% Grenache Blanc, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape La Font D'Hippolyte Blanc is a serious, fruit forward and textured white that gives up lots of peach, brioche, pineapple and hints of oak. It should shine on the dinner table over the coming 2-3 years.

Chateau Simian’s 2014 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc la Font D Hippolyte has a tropical edge to its notes of dried pineapple, lemon peel, brioche and slightly honeyed bouquet. This gives way to a rich, textured white that has bright acidity, good purity of fruit and a clean finish. A blend of 45% Roussanne, 30% Clairette and the rest Grenache Blanc, all raised in barrel, it needs 6-12 months in bottle to integrate, and will drink nicely for 2-4 years after that.

A bigger, richer wine, the 2013 Chateauneuf du Pape La Font d’Hippolyte Blanc is mostly Roussanne (20% Clairette) that spent ten months in barrel. It offers tons of apple-laced fruit, honeysuckle, hints of oak and ample minerality. Despite the richness, it stays lively and fresh on the palate, with a medium-bodied feel, integrated acidity and terrific length. I’d drink bottles over the coming 3-4 years, but it will evolve for longer.

My favorite of the whites, the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape La Font d’Hippolyte Blanc dishes out stunning notes of peaches, mulled spice and toasted almonds on the nose. Made from 85% Roussanne and 15% Clairette and aged all in concrete, this medium to full-bodied white has solid mid-palate depth, great acidity and fantastic focus and length on the finish. It’s a serious, classic Roussanne blend that will have over a decade of longevity (my standard caveat about aging these applies here and the safe bet is to drink in the first 2-3 years). Drink now-2022. This small estate is run by Jean-Pierre Serguier, and covers 10 acres in Chateauneuf du Pape, mostly in the northwestern section of the appellation. He produces two red cuvees in top vintages, his classic blend (reviewed here) and a Grenache-dominated Grandes Grenachieres d’Hyppolyte. All three of the Cotes du Rhones reviewed here were well made and show good all-around character. In addition, his whites are superb.

Made in a big, projected, aromatic style, the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc La Font d-Hippolyte offers up abundant flower, quince, honeysuckle and citrus notes in a fresh, medium-bodied, elegant, mineral-laced style. Drink it over the next 1-3 years. This tiny 10-acre estate run by Jean-Pierre Serguier produces 1,500 cases of Chateauneuf du Pape and around 350 cases of their super, old vine cuvee, Les Grandes Grenachieres d-Hippolyte, which is made from 85-year-old vines. These traditionally-made cuvees are aged in foudre or old barrels. Serguier has been managing this estate since 1981, although it dates from 1920. One of the few domaines that is outside of the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation, Simian is located in the garlic capital of France, the tiny village of Piolenc, a 10-minute drive from the village of Chateauneuf du Pape. Importer: Total Wine & More, Potomac, MD; tel. (301) 795-1080