2022 Domaine Ray-Jane, IGP du Var Blanc

On Le Plan du Castellet—the plateau above the village of Bandol, where Ray-Jane’s vineyards are located—you’re never more than a few miles from the Mediterranean. With constant sunshine and constant wind, grapes achieve even ripening while retaining vivid acidity, and the proximity to the sea imbues the local blancs with a saline edge. The soils here are a mix of pebbly limestone and clay. Since 1288, throughout countless invasions, revolutions, plagues, and world wars, the aptly-named Constant family has continued farming their vineyards, harvesting fruit, and bottling exceptional wine. In France, Ray-Jane is recognized alongside greats like Tempier, but Ray-Jane is bottled in much smaller quantities and thus seldom makes a star turn on our side of the Atlantic.  This bottling carries an IGP du Var designation, because some of the source vineyards are situated outside the Bandol AOC (though the soils, etc. are effectively the same). The wine is a blend of Clairette, Ugni Blanc, and se