This session came about when one of my friends realized nobody here (in our wine circles) had arranged any wine tastings on dry white Bordeaux since time immemorial. Honestly, nobody could remember a single event dedicated only to Bordeaux Blanc. So he decided to do something about it, since he already had some random bottles in his cellar. A few of us attendees pooled in a couple of bottles (I brought Clos Floridene and Château La Tour-Martillac) and he sourced a few more bottles from internet actions. After about six months after the inception of the idea, we had our nice lineup of Bordelais SB and Sémillon.
And, of course, we had also some blind bottles completely unrelated to the theme of the tasting, both to calibrate our taste buds and just for the heck of it. Apart from Guiraud, all the bottles were tasted fully blind.
The introductory blinds
-
2010 Cline Cellars Marsanne Roussanne - USA, California, North Coast (22.6.2021)
A blend of Marsanne (71%) and Roussanne (29%). Aged in stainless steel tanks. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Deep, evolved golden yellow color with faint lime-green highlights. The nose feels a weird combination of vegetal (perhaps reductive) and sweeter characteristics; there are evolved and slightly oxidative aromas of wizened yellow tropical fruits, some nutty notes of Marsala, a little bit of acacia honey, light skunky notes of canned asparagus, a hint of rye rusk and a touch of malty character. The wine is dry, somewhat oily and medium-bodied on the palate with evolved flavors of wildhoney and beeswax, some spicy red apple, light oxidative notes of caramel, a little bit of exotic spices, a hint of poached pear and a vegetal touch of canned asparagus. The medium acidity doesn’t really lend much in the way of freshness. The finish is evolved, somewhat flat and moderately oxidative with medium-long flavors of honey, some exotic spices, a little bit of wizened apricot, light caramel tones, a nutty hint of Marsala and a touch of sweet tropical fruits.
Meh. With its sweet-yet-vegetal characteristics this reminds me of late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc that has accidentally finished its fermentation to full dryness, then left to oxidize. Obviously a wine that should’ve been drunk quite soon after release - definitely not built to age. Not yet completely dead, but getting so oxidative that I see no point rating the wine. Quite past its peak, so if you have any bottles remaining, I heartily suggest to drink 'em up.
-
2016 Holger Koch Herrenstück Weissburgunder - Germany, Baden (22.6.2021)
13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale, rather neutral whitish-green color. Fresh and fruity nose with bright aromas of ripe greencurrants, some fresh red apple, a little bit of honeyed richness, light exotic notes of passion fruit and a touch of stony minerality. The wine is balancing nicely between with freshness and ripeness on the palate. It feels moderately full-bodied with clean flavors of ripe red apples, stony minerality, some nectarine, a little bit of passion fruit, light tart notes of lemony citrus fruit and a hint of ripe greencurrant. Balanced high acidity. The finish is fresh and mouth-cleansing with quite long flavors of stony minerality, lemony citrus fruits, some tart green apple, light sweeter notes of nectarine and passion fruit and a cool hint of gun metal.
A youthful, fresh and harmonious Pinot Blanc that effortlessly combines bright, acid-driven freshness with almost exotic-fruited ripeness. Drinking wonderfully now, but showing good potential for future development. A well-made, serious example of German Pinot Blanc. A steal at 12€. (90 pts.)
The main tasting
-
1959 Henry de Boursaulx Graves Supérieures - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Graves Supérieures (22.6.2021)
An off-dry Graves Supérieures made by négociant Ets. Henry de Boursaulx from Savigny-les-Beaune, Bourgogne. No alc% in the label. Tasted blind.
Deep, very evolved bronze color with a burnished golden rim. Rich, very evolved and quite seductive nose of caramel and browned butter, some crema catalana, a little bit of dried pineapple and sultana grapes, light honeyed notes, a hint of whitecurrant marmalade and a touch of maple syrup. Tons of lush, sweet nuances here. The wine is full-bodied, oily and moderately sweet on the palate with juicy flavors of caramel, some pineapple juice, a little bit of honeyed richness, light evolved notes of browned butter, dried-fruit hints of sultana grapes and dried apricots and a touch of apple juice. The medium acidity really doesn’t offset the sweetness or bring much freshness to the wine, but it manages to keep the wine nicely in balance. The finish is soft, sweetish and quite long with gentle and fully mature flavors of acacia honey, some dried pineapple, a little bit of sultana, light caramel tones and a creamy hint of crema catalana.
A beautiful and tasty Graves Supérieures white that has reached its plateau of maturity probably decades ago, but is still hanging in there. The wine is fully mature and apparently isn’t going anywhere from here but down. Beautiful interplay with evolved, tertiary fruit notes and rich, caramelized sugar flavors. The wine really could use a bit more acidity, as the overall feel is a bit too soft and mellow, but seeing how wonderfully complex the wine is, I really don’t mind. Terrific stuff, a bargain at 37€. (93 pts.)
-
2016 Clos Floridene Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves (22.6.2021)
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc (56%) and Sémillon (44%). Fermented and aged for 9 months in large oak casks and oak barriques. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Quite neutral lime-green color. Youthful, fragrant and quite heavily Sauvignon Blanc-driven nose with somewhat tropical aromas of passion fruit, some guava, a little bit of cat’s pee, light creamy notes of oak, a sharp hint of green apple and a touch of grassy greenness. The wine is clean, crisp and balanced on the palate with a medium body and fresh flavors of passion fruit and guava, some crunchy green apple, light creamy notes suggestive of oak aging, light steely mineral tones, green-toned hints of currant leaves and cut grass and a sweeter touch of cantaloupe. The zippy high acidity lends great sense of freshness and energy to the wine. The finish is long, ripe and somewhat tropical with quite mouth-cleansing flavors of guava and passion fruit, pithy citrus fruit, some sweet notes of juicy golden apple, light stony mineral notes, a little bit of gooseberry and green currant, a hint of creamy oak and a herbaceous touch of leafy greenness.
A tasty and balanced white Graves, but I was surprised how noticeably Sauvignon Blanc-driven this wine was; although almost half of the blend is composed of Sémillon, the influence of Sauvignon Blanc is very dominant here and for many people in the tasting the wine was just too green - especially the classic “cat’s pee” note in the nose was a turn-off for many. Although I found the wine quite balanced and refreshing in its style, there’s no denying that it is a bit linear in style and heavily dominant in Sauvignon Blanc’s varietal characteristics, the fruitier Sémillon notes playing a very minor second fiddle to SB’s rather overpowering lead. In our Bordeaux Blanc blind tasting this wine came across as a noticeably modern, “light and crisp” white wine, contrasting heavily the more weightier, concentrated and slightly more oak-influenced old-school Bordeaux Blanc wines. I hope the greener nuances here will fade away and get overwhelmed by the tertiary tropical fruit flavors and toasty nuances as the wine ages. Enjoyable stuff, but perhaps a bit on the pricey side for the quality at 29,90€. (88 pts.)
-
2006 St. Supéry Virtú Meritage - USA, California, Napa Valley (22.6.2021)
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc (52%) and Sémillon (48%). 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Quite deep and moderately evolved yellow-green color. Evolved, somewhat tropical and pleasantly complex nose with aromas of pineapple, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of honeyed richness, light sweet notes of wizened green currants and gooseberries and a touch of lemon marmalade. Pretty lovely. The wine is ripe, evolved and balanced on the palate with a moderately full body and layered flavors of honeydew melon, some tertiary nutty notes, light creamy notes of panna cotta, a little bit of savory wood spice that turns towards browned butter, sweet hints of passion fruit and exotic baking spices and a touch of stony minerality. The vivid high acidity lends good sense of energy and structure to the wine. The finish is bright, fresh and quite acid-driven with rather lengthy and moderately evolved flavors of ripe tropical fruits, some peanut butter, a little bit of creamy oak, light stony mineral tones, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of honeydew melon.
A beautiful, fresh and wonderfully evolved white Meritage. In our Bordeaux Blanc tasting virtually everybody was certain that this was a classic Pessac-Leognan white, but it turned out to be a ringer from Napa. In a great spot right now, this is a terrific effort that can hold a candle to its esteemed French counterparts. I doubt the wine will continue to improve from here, so no further aging is necessary. Drink or keep. A bargain at 30€. (93 pts.)
-
1996 Château de Cruzeau Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (22.6.2021)
12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Deep burnished golden yellow color. Ye gods what a nose! At first a strong cheesy notes of Morbier or Appenzeller and stinky feet hit you like a sledgehammer, followed by slightly more pleasant notes of apple sauce, some dried stone fruits and a nutty hint of oxidation. The wine is quite tertiary and moderately dull on the palate with a medium body and rather tired flavors of nutty rancio, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of dried stone fruits and a hint of stinky cheese. The wine is high in acidity. The finish is old, dull and rather oxidative with quite long and somewhat unpleasant notes of dirty sport socks, some stinky cheese notes, a little bit of oxidative nuttiness, light stony mineral notes, a hint of mushroomy sous-bois and a touch of rancid butter.
Hrrr. Way past its peak. I wonder what on earth can make a wine turn so unpleasantly skunky with notes of Morbier cheese, stinky feet and sweaty socks? All in all, a horrible experience. Can’t recommend. NR (flawed)
-
2015 VINIV Mysteri - France, Bordeaux, Graves (22.6.2021)
A wine made from Sauvignon Blanc (70%) and Sémillon (30%) from Graves region; vinified in Pauillac, Médoc, making this wine eligible only for an AOC Bordeaux appellation. Aged for 8 months in a neutral barrique and bottled in June 2016. Only some 280 bottles made. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Quite pale lemon color with subtle greenish highlights. Clean, fresh and wonderfully expressive nose with aromas of guava and gooseberries, some floral notes of honeysuckle, a little bit of powdered salty liquorice, light creamy notes of oak, juicy hints of apricots and sweet Golden Delicious apple and a touch of honeyed richness. The wine feels fresh, clean and enjoyably structured on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body. Focused and quite intense flavors of sweet golden apples, some savory oak spice with a slightly sawdusty edge, a little bit of creaminess, light lemony citrus fruit notes, a sweet hint of ripe cantaloupe and a slightly evolved touch of butter. There’s some obvious sense of ripeness here, lending some sense of weight and viscosity to the mouthfeel, yet the almost racy acidity lends great sense of freshness and vivacity to the wine. The finish is juicy, crisp and slightly woody with long, precise flavors of ripe golden apple, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of melting butter, light fruity notes of cantaloupe and lemon, a hint of steely minerality and a touch of savory wood spice.
Consistently a very balanced, harmonious and well-made Bordeaux Blanc that combines effortlessly lots of ripe fruit with fresh and zippy acidity. Even though the blend leans heavily on Sauvignon Blanc, the wine isn’t particularly green or vegetal in any way - even though Sémillon is only a small minority in the blend, it feels like the flavors emphasize mainly ripe Sémillon fruit and oaky and mineral overtones, while the Sauvignon Blanc component keeps the wine fresh, lends it great acidity and only some understated lemony nuances. All in all, a well-made and thoroughly enjoyable white Bordeaux that is still very youthful at the moment. I can see this wine improving a lot if left to age in a cellar. Lovely! (93 pts.)
-
1995 Château Carbonnieux Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (22.6.2021)
12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Quite deep golden yellow color with faint lime-green highlights. Dull, somewhat earthy and slightly musty nose with aromas of nutty oxidation, some honeyed sweetness and a hint of cardboard. I wonder if the wine is past its peak, corked or both? It feels dull, somewhat mellow and quite full-bodied on the palate with flavors of nutty oxidation, some earthy notes, a little bit of cardboard, light pithy citrus fruit notes and a sweeter hint of ripe cantaloupe. Moderately high acidity. The finish is mellow, understated and somewhat earthy with flavors of ripe citrus fruits, some cardboard, a little bit of hay and a hint of nutty oxidative character.
An aged Bordeaux Blanc that seems to suffer from a mild case of TCA. Quite uninspiring. Meh. NR (flawed)
-
2007 Y de Yquem - France, Bordeaux (22.6.2021)
A blend of early-picked Sauvignon Blanc with a little bit of late-harvested Sémillon. Aged for 10 months in oak barriques (1/3 new). 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Quite concentrated, medium-deep yellow-green color. Clean, relatively youthful and rather concentrated nose with aromas of ripe gooseberries, some creamy oak spice, a little bit of passion fruit, light evolved notes of woolly lanolin, a hint of zesty lemon, a touch of toasty oak spice and a floral whiff of apple blossom. The wine feels ripe and quite concentrated yet surprisingly lively and fresh at the same time with a moderately full body and quite intense flavors of lemony citrus fruits and sharp passion fruit notes, some fresh cantaloupe, a little bit of creamy oak, light evolved woolly notes, juicy hints of gooseberries and ripe green currants and a touch of sweet, toasty oak spice. The overall feel is fresh, balanced and quite focused, thanks to the bright, high acidity. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat tropical with complex flavors of passion fruit and fresh pineapple, some honeydew melon, a little bit of tart Granny Smith apple, light creamy notes of oak spice, a hint of zesty citrus fruit and an evolved touch of woolly lanolin.
A big yet surprisingly fresh and balanced Ygrec that is still surprisingly youthful for its age - the wine was noticeably more youthful than any other wine of the same age in our tasting of Bordeaux Blancs. Contrasting my previous experience of Y, which was vintage 2008 tasted in 2014, and the wine was both noticeably more oaky with more pronounced Sauvignon Blanc character, this vintage was noticeably more balanced with great interplay with the less obvious oak tones and more tropical fruit flavors. It seems that it takes +10 years before the wine fleshes out the midpalate, so it doesn’t come across as just a combination of deep toasty oak and shrill, high-toned Sauvignon character, but instead a complete wine where the bassy low end and the piercing high end play to each other and have a nice, firm middle frequencies to tie the both ends together. All in all, this is a balanced and well-made wine that is still very youthful, but evolving into the right direction. However, I must say that even though the quality here is high, I really can’t say the wine is really worth the money at ~150€. (92 pts.)
-
2008 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (22.6.2021)
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc (85%) and Sémillon (15%). Fermented and aged for 18 months in oak barriques (35% new). 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Medium-deep lime-green color. Somewhat restrained and subtly sweet nose with light aromas of lemon marmalade, some honeydew melon, light evolved notes of woolly lanolin, a little bit of passion fruit, a hint of developed waxy character and a touch of creamy oak. The wine is full-bodied, somewhat evolved and nicely focused on the palate with rather concentrated flavors of lemony citrus fruits and tangy Granny Smith apple, some savory woody notes with a little bit of creaminess, a little bit of woolly lanolin, light pithy notes of grapefruit, a sweeter hint of honeydew melon and a touch of steely minerality. The high acidity lends great sense of precision to the wine and keeps the full body well in check. The finish is dry, fresh and quite crisp with long, mouth-cleansing flavors of lemony citrus fruits, creamy oak, some tart green apple notes, a little bit of damp wool, light steely mineral nuances, a sweeter hint of tropical fruits and a touch of woody oak spice.
A rich, nuanced and relatively concentrated Bordeaux Blanc with lots of depth but also a somewhat dull, understated overall character. The wine felt somewhat underwhelming compared to the Chevalier Blanc 2010 tasted in the same tasting, so there was some disagreement whether the wine was already starting to fade away (2008 was a lesser vintage for Bordeaux whites, after all) or it was in a slump right now, suggesting that the wine would perform better if left in a cellar to age more. I thought the wine showed great potential for future development, but not showing its best right now, so most likely this wine is not at its best shape for the time being, but will be much better if cellared further. A fine, enjoyably and quite impressive wine, but perhaps not up to par when it comes to the general quality of Domaine de Chevalier. Let the wine be for at least a handful of years more. (89 pts.)
-
2014 Château La Tour-Martillac Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (22.6.2021)
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc (70%) and Sémillon (30%). Fermented and aged for 11 months in oak barriques (25% new), then blended together and aged in stainless steel tanks for another 4 months. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale and quite neutral whitish-green color. Clean, youthful and rather intensely Sauvignon Blanc-driven nose with still almost primary aromas of passion fruit, ripe citrus fruits, some sappy notes of currant leaves, a little bit of fresh gooseberry, light steely mineral notes, a cat pee note typical of SB and a touch of creamy oak. Overall the oak influence stays very much to the background and Sauvignon Blanc stays in the lead. The wine is clean, lively and crunchy on the palate with a medium body and crisp, zippy flavors of passion fruit and Granny Smith apple, lemony citrus fruits, some fresh yellow gooseberry, a little bit of cat pee, light nuances of oaky creaminess, a tangy hint of saline minerality and a touch of sappy herbal greenness. The brisk acidity lends a very electric feel to the wine, making in come across as very vivacious and quite structured. The finish is clean, youthful and lively with crunchy flavors of lemony citrus fruits and slightly tart passion fruit, some gooseberry tones, a little bit of tangy salinity, light greencurrant notes, a herbal hint of grassy greenness and a touch of creamy oak.
A very brisk, crisp and lively Pessac-Léognan white. With its very noticeable and varietally quite overwhelming Sauvignon Blanc character, this wine feels more like a modern, fruity white wine than a classic, rich and complex Bordeaux Blanc. Although I love fresh, acid-driven whites and am not a fan of noticeable oak character, I’d prefer this wine to show a bit more depth and weighty Sémillon fruit with a bit more complexity from the oak aging - now the wine feels more like a Bordeaux white that is trying to be a New Zealand SB. I can imagine some further aging might lend the wine a bit more depth, weight and complexity while bringing in some Sémillon richness in lieu of that sappy SB character, but seeing how the wine doesn’t show that much sense of concentration, I’m afraid the wine isn’t probably the best candidate for prolonged aging. This is a good wine, but nothing particularly notable and honestly rather expensive for the quality at 44€. (87 pts.)
-
1999 Les Plantiers du Haut-Brion Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (22.6.2021)
13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Rather deep golden yellow color with a pale reddish-bronze core. Tired, oxidative nose with aromas of chopped nuts, some smoky tones, a little bit of soy sauce and light madeirized aromas of dried fruits and rancio. The wine is lively, crisp and medium-bodied on the palate with very oxidative and quite flat flavors of nutty rancio, some tangy salinity, a little bit of bruised apple, light malty notes, a hint of hay and a touch of lemony citrus fruits. High acidity. The finish is lively and zippy with high acidity, but also very dull and tired with oxidative flavors of bruised green apple, some hay, a little bit of nutty rancio, light salty notes of soy sauce and a hint of candied tropical fruits.
Meh. Quite heavily oxidative and pretty much past its peak. This isn’t even enjoyable in that anonymous old wine kind of way, this is just dull and oxidized. A poor purchase at ~50€. NR (flawed)
-
2006 Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (22.6.2021)
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc (2/3) and Sémillon (1/3), fermented and aged for 12 months in new oak barriques. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Quite deep and moderately concentrated burnished golden yellow color. Big and toasty nose with bold aromas of popcorn, honey and grilled pineapple, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of smoky character, light notes of beeswax, a hint of bruised apple and a touch of wizened nectarine. The wine is rich, oily and quite full-bodied on the palate with complex, toasty yet quite crunchy flavors of stony minerality, apple peel bitterness, some browned butter, a little bit of ripe pineapple, light popcorn notes, toasty hints of nutty oak and smoke and a touch of tangy salinity. The acidity feels at first moderately high, but it seems to grow in intensity towards the aftertaste. The lengthy finish is crisp, powerful and moderately toasty with intense flavors of nutty oak and popcorn, tart green apples, some pithy notes of grapefruit, a little bit of browned butter, light stony mineral nuances, a hint of grilled pineapple and a touch of creaminess.
A wonderfully evolved, powerful and remarkably balanced Pessac-Léognan white that is obviously quite toasty and oak-driven in style, but carries it remarkably well. The wine doesn’t feel that woody or overdone, since the oakiest nuances have already integrated with the fruit and the fruit department has evolved nicely into tertiary ntoes of grilled pineapple and dried fruits so that they intermingle with the oaky nuances remarkably well. Furthermore, the wine retains a wonderfully zippy acid core of citrus fruits and green apples that keep the wine fresh, brisk and full of pep, despite the rich, tertiary and moderately oak-influenced flavors. A very complete wine that shows how well these oak-heavy Bordeaux whites can perform if just given enough time. Excellent! (94 pts.)
-
2010 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (22.6.2021)
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc (85%) and Sémillon (15%). Fermented and aged for 18 months in oak barriques (35% new). 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale, youthful yellow-green color with a deeper lemon-yellow core. Ripe, quite concentrated and wonderfully nuanced nose with expressive aromas of ripe yellow fruits, some creamy oak, light sweet notes of honeydew melon and pineapple, a little bit of savory wood spice, a developed hint of woolly lanolin and a touch of ripe gooseberry. The wine is lively, crunchy and quite concentrated on the palate with a moderately full body and intense and still surprisingly youthful flavors of ripe lemon-driven citrus fruits and juicy red apple, some creamy oak, light honeyed tones, a little bit of stony minerality, a sweeter hint of marmaladey citrus fruits and a touch of ripe gooseberry. The bright, fresh acidity keeps the wine wonderfully structured and makes the wine feel almost crisp. The finish is ripe, juicy and wonderfully long with intense flavors of white peach, some creamy oak, a little bit of passion fruit, light juicy notes of white and green currants, a hint of honeydew melon and a woolly touch of lanolin.
A very impressive, powerful and still very youthful vintage of white Chevalier that is drinking pretty wonderfully right now, but is going to be on an upward trajectory for a long time. Noticeably better than the 2008 vintage tasted in the same tasting. Great stuff - although the price of almost 100€ feels still a bit questionable. (93 pts.)
The extra three
-
2013 Château Rives-Blanques Limoux La Trilogie - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Limoux (22.6.2021)
A blend of Chenin Blanc (50%), Chardonnay (40%) and Mauzac (10%). All vinified and aged separately in oak barrels. La Trilogie is Rives-Blanques’ flagship cuvée, composed of the most interesting / characterful barrels - thus the blend composition can vary greatly from year to another. Of the wines that were used to blend this vintage, 30% were aged in new oak. 13% alcohol, 1 g/l residual sugar, 6,4 g/l acidity. Total production 1500 bottles. Tasted blind.
Medium-deep lemon-yellow color. Sweetish and very distinctive nose with aromas of mirabelle plums and cherry pits, some plum liqueur, a little bit of ripe Golden Delicious apple, light vanilla notes, a floral hint of apple blossom and a touch of creamy oak. The wine is dry, full-bodied and somewhat evolved on the palate with quite bold flavors of wizened golden apples, stony minerality, some cherry pits, light oaky notes of butter and vanilla, a little bit of leesy creaminess, sweet hints of cloudberry jam and lemon marmalade and a touch of dried apricots. Moderately high acidity. The medium-long finish is dry, fresh and juicy with somewhat evolved flavors of ripe red damsons, some cherry pits, a little bit of juicy red apple, light oaky notes of creaminess and vanilla and a hint of stony minerality.
A quite interesting and distinctive Limoux white with a very characterful streak of plums and cherry pits. Enjoyable and balanced, but ultimately not really my cup of tea. The wine shows quite impressive gravitas counterpointed by good structure, but the overall impression is a bit too ripe, heavily oaked and sweet-toned for my taste. Pleasant, but not really a bullseye. (87 pts.)
-
2012 Michel & Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie Le Village - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (22.6.2021)
A “village-level” Côte-Rôtie blended with fruit sourced from several different vineyards. Fermented in stainless steel, aged in mainly old oak barrels. 13% alcohol, tasted blind.
Luminous, moderately translucent blackish-red color with a hint of youthful blue. The nose feels clean and fragrant with expressive aromas of ripe blackberries, some peppery spice, a little bit of sweet bilberry, light inky tones, a hint of elderflower and a touch of gamey meat. With only a whiff or two I’m fully certain this must be a Northern Rhône Syrah or a very impressive imitation of it. The wine is clean and ripe yet enjoyably savory on the palate with a medium body and quite youthful flavors of fresh black cherries, crushed peppercorns, some blueberry tones, a little bit of brambly blackberry, light inky tones, a hint of gamey meat and a touch of toasty wood spice. The structure relies more on the high acidity than on the firm yet rather gentle, somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is quite long, somewhat grippy and rather savory with flavors of meaty umami, peppery spice, some brambly blackberry, a little bit of tart cranberry-driven red-toned fruit, a light inky tones, a hint of blueberry and a woody touch of savory oak spice.
A very nice and varietally correct Syrah that was pretty much immediately recognizable for a Northern Rhône red. My guess was a higher-end Saint-Joseph, other people guessed a better Crozes-Hermitage, so it came as a bit of a surprise that the wine turned out to be a Côte-Rôtie - although an “early-drinking” entry-level cuvée at that. However, even though the wine is supposed to be an early-drinking wine, it is surprisingly youthful at almost 10 years of age and most likely will continue to be so for many more years. I doubt this will ever become a particularly impressive or complex Syrah - even with a lot more bottle age - but it is a very nice wine all the same and going to be offering pleasure for many more years. Nice! (91 pts.)
-
2011 Château Guiraud - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (22.6.2021)
A blend of organically farmed Sémillon (65%) and Sauvignon Blanc (35%). Fermented for 3-6 weeks and aged for 18-24 months in oak barriques (90% new, 10% 2nd use). 13,96% alcohol, 140 g/l residual sugar and 5,7 g/l acidity. Total production 48,000 bottles.
Medium-deep golden yellow color with a pale bronze core. Very rich, concentrated and rather voluptuous nose with moderately oak-driven aromas of toffee, caramel and Russian candy, some beeswax, light cloudberry jam tones, a little bit of ethery VA, a lush botrytis hint of orange marmalade and a touch of dried pineapple. Light volatile nuances of nail varnish start to emerge as the wine breathes and opens up. The wine is concentrated, full-bodied and somewhat oily on the palate with intense and noticeably sweet flavors of dried pineapple, some oaky notes of caramel and butterscotch, a little bit of honeyed richness, light nuances of honeydew melon and apricot marmalade, a hint of fruit salad and a touch of burnt sugar bitterness. Despite its rather unctuous nature, the wine comes across as relatively fresh and wonderfully balanced, all thanks to the moderately high acidity. The persistent finish is rich and juicy with a bold, complex aftertaste of dried pineapple, some apricot jam, light oaky notes of toffee and caramel, a little bit of beeswax, a hint of vanilla and a touch of fruit salad syrup.
A big, impressive and surprisingly unctuous Sauternes that feels slightly more concentrated and oak-driven than a typical, classic Sauternes. However, the wine shows great sense of balance, thanks to its great structure that never gets overwhelmed by the powerful fruit, oak or residual sugar richness. It is quite enjoyable already, but for me it feels still too much dominated by the oak, which is why I’d let the wine age some more, in the hopes that further aging would integrate the oakier notes better with the fruit and eat away some of that sugary sweetness. All in all, a powerful, promising Sauternes that is built to age. Excellent value at 20,60€ for a half bottle. (93 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker