Château Barthès Bandol Blanc 2023 is a dry white from Bandol in Provence, built on citrus and stone fruit with a firm saline edge rather than tropical richness. Fresh and quietly textural, it drinks as much like a Mediterranean seafood wine as a straight aperitif white.

Aromatics lean towards lemon peel, white peach and green almond, with a wisp of fennel and dried herb behind the fruit. The palate follows the nose closely, showing grapefruit pith and a faint waxy note that gives the wine some presence without weight.

Acidity in this 2023 Bandol Blanc is bright but rounded, and the mid-palate carries a gentle chalky grip that keeps things savoury. The finish is dry and mineral, tightening up on lemon and a touch of bitter almond, and it holds longer than the modest weight of the wine suggests.

Serve it lightly chilled with grilled prawns, whole snapper with lemon, oysters, salt cod brandade or a garlicky aioli plate. It also handles chicken poached with herbs and soft goat's cheese well, where the salinity does the work a heavier white would fumble.

Drink now through to around 2028. Château Barthès Bandol Blanc is enjoyable young for its freshness, though a couple of years in the cellar will soften the citrus edge and let the more textural, nutty side of the wine come forward.