The Future of White Bordeaux

[JustinP]

@Arv_R

I still have never grasped what thirst among SB drinkers that basic Bordeaux blanc quenches.

I don’t think the producers of basic BB know either, which is another nontrivial part of the problem.

[Arv_R]

It’s strange - the top of the pyramid like Dom. de Chevalier, HBB, and so on have no problem selling out. Even when their blanc costs (far) more than their rouge. I’ve mentioned it before, but the typical Total Wine has a vast spectrum of Bordeaux Blanc - of all AOC - relative to anyone else and is usually worth checking out.

[Bob_Hoelting]

Everything’s a little better when paired with old school EWF

[Arv_R]

Even better in September!

[Julian_Marshall]

I had the last of three bottles of this last night:

Le Blanc Sec de Suduiraut 2019

Mouth watering nose of white peach, white flowers, a little apricot and honey, then a bracingly vigorous attack of lemon and bitter orange, with a wave of quince and bitter orange midpalate and a fresh, crisp finish. Like Suduiraut without the sugar. Very tangy and mouth-puckering. Very enjoyable and at 11€, excellent value. 91 pts

I think it’s about half each of Semillon and Sauvignon. There’s a sense of class and majesty that I would have expected from a wine costing three times as much.

[Arv_R]

I had Climens dry wine recently and it was very good too. It makes sense for the producers and Sauternes and Barsac to offer more of these now.

Graves (Pessac Leognan) from around the Turn of the Century

[1000006988] It’s been quite some time since our local tasting group met, so we made arrangements, and chose Pessac Leognan as a quasi theme. Everything turned out great! [1000006984] We started with cheese, chestnuts, caramelized onions and crackers and a 2021 Ultramarine ‘Blanc de Blancs’ [Sonoma Coast], disgorged recently on 12/1/25. This was the first time I’d tried this cult favorite and I agreed with others that there was some white pepper on the light bodied sparkly. My better hal…

[Julian_Marshall]

@Arv_R

I had Climens dry wine recently and it was very good too. It makes sense for the producers and Sauternes and Barsac to offer more of these now.

Yes indeed - with the increase in white wines from the Médoc, I do wonder however just how big the market is for dry whites from Bordeaux - at the prices they’re after.

[Arv_R]

Yes, there’s the rub. If they are making good quality white wines, the whole world can compete with them. In my region Asphodele is $40-60 on the shelf, and it’s relatively new with only a few vintages under its belt with that brand.