You all remember the insanely good, totally unique Vin de Solitude Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc and Rouge we sell every once in a blue moon?  Well, imagine those unicorns, only made in quantities and sold at prices that give the rest of us access!  This is one of those ‘back the truck up’ red and white wine combinations that just can’t be ignored!  Located in the La Solitude lieu dit on the western edge of the La Crau plateau of Chateauneuf du Pape, this estate actually has its roots in the 17^th century Roman papacy and its owner is a direct descendent of Pope Urban VIII: Hence the fancy coat of arms on their label.  It was native Gaul Paul Martin, though, who after marrying into the exiled Barbarini family, who began, a hundred years later, bottling and selling wine made from the grapes grown on their estate.  The rest is, as they say, a very long history!  We beg, borrow and steal to get tiny allocations of the family’s Vin de Solitude, but there is plenty of their delightful Cotes du Rhone, at least right now!  The Blanc, a particular specialty here, is made from Clairette (the wine’s signature fresh, citrusy component), Grenache Blanc (all those floral notes) and Viognier (the round, gorgeous palate) and is stainless steel from start to finish.  It’s, indeed, a very impressive Cotes du Rhone Blanc, fresh, aromatic, nicely textural and so, so easy to slosh back with just about any kind of food you can imagine.  There is no shortage of light, crisp whites from which to choose these days, but rarely do they have the presence and personality of this!  Seriously, this is $19 very well spent.  And you should stock up on the Solitude Rouge as well.  Adroitly assembled from Grenache and Syrah, there is a judicious drop of funky, peppery Mourvedre in there too that pulls the whole thing together to make a perfectly balanced, easy drinking red that manages complexity and quaffability  about as well as it can be done at $19.  This is an authentic tasting Cotes du Rhone that is just perfect for the season.  Drink now with burgers, ribs, chicken and, well, anything.  And if it accidentally falls into the ice alongside the white for a bit, that wouldn’t be a crime either.  Case worthy.  In fact, you should get a case each of both and I still think you’ll be back asking for more!  (By the way, you can’t help but LOVE those old school Solitude labels)