I_n hindsight, and with the proper amount of imagination, things often do make sense. How I found my way to these two wines is a long story involving renewed interest in white Bordeaux from reading posts on WB, misplaced wine orders, cross-country wine transport along both axes, early disappointment, and a timely TN in Wine Talk._
We opened two 2017 white Bordeaux Blanc from a property in Sauternes that was acquired, resuscitated and made into a “special” endeavor over the past 10 years or so by Olivier Bernard and his family. They are also the owners of the Domaine de Chevalier. The project is not without some hype(rbole) from Mssr. Bernard. Three bottlings of Semillon dominant “Grand Vin Blanc Sec” are produced under the “Clos des Lunes” label: “Lune Blanche”. “Lune d’Argent,” and “Lune d’Or. Four of us shared bottles of the first two, both opened at the same time and put out as “pour as you please”.
2017 Clos des Lunes “Lune Blanche”. The first sip of this was notably and unexpectedly bone dry. The taste profile was all mineral and herb to me. Light and lively mouthfeel. Went very well a mixed cheese plate. Enjoyed by all and preferred strongly by three of the four of us.
2017 Clos des Lunes “Lune d’Argent”. Very different from the “Blanche”. Some winemaker decisions deliberately make it so, despite the identical 70/30 Semillion/SB mix. Fuller all around – mouthfeel, flavor intensity, “seriousness”. The fruit seemed ripe and even (strangely) a tiny bit sweet. Not a profound wine to me, but certainly one to ponder a while compared to the straightforward “Blanche”. Less immediately enjoyable, but still enjoyed by all and this was my preference of the two.