Steven – Wine Specialist, Pasadena

Summer is approaching fast! The 2024 Domaine de Travers “Zouzou” Ctes du Rhne Blanc is the kid who skipped class to go for a swim. This duty dodging wine will have you doing back flips!

This isn’t a wine for over-analysis or dusty cellars; its a liquid postcard from the Southern Rhne. On the nose, its all sun-drenched stone fruit and white blossomsthink of a peach orchard right after a light rain. It carries that classic Rhne weight, but without the sluggishness. Instead, the 2024 vintage offers a surprising, zesty snap that keeps the richer notes of apricot and honey in check.

The name “Zouzou” suggests a certain playfulness, and the palate delivers exactly that. It has a rounded, almost waxy texture that makes it feel substantial, yet it finishes with a clean, salty minerality that begs for another sip. Its the ultimate companion for a garlic-heavy roast chicken or a bowl of salty olives on a terrace. Clever, unpretentious, and dangerously drinkable, this is a bottle that reminds us why the Rhne Valley is the undisputed master of the “serious-but-fun” white wine.

Your Tariff Sheriff Steve!