Corney & Barrow 

The Gonnet family estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape was developed by Etienne Gonnet in the 1950s. Run today by Etienne’s sons, Jean and Michel Gonnet, the estate’s quality credentials could not be more impressive: thirty hectares of vineyards running up to Le Crau (arguably the most revered vineyard plot in the entire Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation); sunny south/south-east facing slopes; clay-limestone soils littered with prized, heat-reflecting galets roulés (pudding stones); and low-yielding 110-year-old vines. The Gonnets’ wines range from crowd-pleasing Côtes-du-Rhône to the rare Cuvée Etienne Gonnet Châteauneuf-du-Pape, yet there is a common stylistic thread: while the region’s classic baked fruit, rich colour and structure are all here in spades, the wines also display the hallmark Gonnet freshness and aromatic vivacity, the southern Rhône at its most elegant.

Photo: Vineyards at Vignobles Gonnet