Blanc sec de Suduiraut is another great value in the $20 range. It’s usually about half semillon, which contributes richness and texture.
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I have a friend who loves Haut Brion Blanc and is very careful about provenance and storage. I have drunk bottles with him on many occasions, and in our experience the wine is either sublime or rather insipid, the two not necessarily corresponding to the reputation of the vintage. But when the wine is great there is a lanolin/waxy mouth feel that I have never encountered in any other wine.
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This post inspired me; I found a bottle of 2001 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc online and bought it! Actually, the label is Chateau Laville Haut Brion, which I believe is what became La Mission Haut Brion Blanc after 2008. Can someone tell me whether or not I’m mistaken?
Either way, looking at recent prices on Wine-Searcher, and reading Cellar Tracker reviews, it seems I got a reasonable price on a promising bottle. If this bottle doesn’t do it for me, perhaps I’m just not a fan of the category. It’s super cold up here in Connecticut, so the wine won’t be shipping for a while. Can’t wait- I’ll post a review when I finally get the chance to pop the cork!
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In the lower price spectrum Marjosse is quaffable, and Picque Caillou is very good. 2017 DDC Blanc was the best wine I tasted at the 2017 BDX tasting in Seattle, red or white.
Don’t overlook Sauterne producers dry whites.
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Laville is indeed the former white wine of LMHB.
Yes + 1. I still have 2 bottles ( released at CA $218) left from vintage 2000 in my cellar…
Just enjoyed a 2013 Ygrec that was absolutely stunning. I had forgotten about this thread, but though it a good place to put two recent relevant tasting notes.
2013 Ygrec:
What a gorgeous wine- I’m in love! This is my second time tasting Ygrec. My other was a 2015 two years ago; so that was a 6 year old wine and this is a 10 year old wine.
The color is a touch more advanced, but this wine didn’t skip a beat despite the extra years. The nose is super fresh; Pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, and honeydew, along with freshly cut white flowers and honeysuckle. A touch of grapefruit and lemon smells as well. It smells sweet, unsurprisingly a bit like a sweet Sauternes. There is definitely a tropical character here, but less so than the 2015 and overall it’s a bit more restrained, I’m guessing because of the cooler vintage.
The palate is a fascinating interplay of textures- is it full bodied? Light bodied? Somehow kind of both. It doesn’t coat the mouth like a big full bodied dessert wine or oaky Cali Chardonnay, but there is an undeniable weight that takes it above a typical light Sauv Blanc. Acidity is high and there is a very pleasant slight sweetness on the long finish. Flavors are just like the nose- tropical fruits, citrus, a little honey. Still 100% primary. I bet this thing will age nicely for a very very long time. Just as delicious on day 3.
I really love dry white Bordeaux and wish there were more high quality examples out there that didn’t cost and arm and a leg. At around $200, this wine is very expensive. Nonetheless, with Haut Brion and La Mission costing in the neighborhood of $1000+, this feels like a bargain.
2015 Le Petit Cheval Blanc Bordeaux Blanc
My God this is a gorgeous wine. 100% Sauvignon Blanc, according to the winery website. Sauvignon Blanc gets a bad wrap, and I understand why; a lot of it is kind of shitty. But there’s a lot of shitty Cabernet and Pinot out there and these grapes don’t get the same kind of flack.
Very Sauv Blanc-y on the nose; lime, green bell pepper and jalepeno pyrizines, jasmine flowers, fresh spearmint, and a tiny hint of that notorious cat urine. It’s an intriguing nose, but one that doesn’t get me particularly excited. I might have guessed NZ Sauv Blanc if blinded.
But the palate is another story. Acidity is high, body is light but not dilute at all- this wine is alive, lean, and fast. Completely integrated and gorgeous. There is no sugar here, but there is a sweet character to the fruit profile that is very appealing. Lime and grapefruit, white peach and lemongrass, herbs and flowers.
This is great stuff.
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I like certain white Bordeaux’s, depending on style. As mentioned, d’Yquem’s Ygrec is one of my favorites year in and year out. I find it interesting at any age, young, and 20+ years. The 1978 was quite brilliant, but I dont think I’d hold most that long. Pape Clement and DDC blanc are also quite good if you like the heavier style… I do. The DDCs get brilliant when aged and I highly recommend following one over several hours to see just how much it changes over the night.
Never had a Haut Brion, petit Cheval, or La Mission blanc, but I wasnt that impressed with Margaux’s Pavillon when I tried a couple vintages.
Pleasantly surprised to find this on the shelves of a local chain retailer, so picked up a bottle of the 2021 Haut Rian blanc [Bordeaux] and drank it chilled after a couple of long afternoon walks. It’s semillon leaning blend, with the balance sauvignon blanc, and the label promises organic viticulture with some particular care/love for bees. That seems fine, although I wonder how the harvesters feel about getting swarmed/stung. I find it light/medium bodied, 12.5% abv, and tilted toward the citrus camp of white wines. I don’t taste any wood and it’s a nice basic estate blanc, in a world where this price point generally only buys a mega farmed appellation wine. I assume the owners could use the Entre-Deux-Mers AOC but probably find Bordeaux AOC easier to understand/explain/sell. The acidity is tempered/balanced here, a nice touch in a world where too many want to harvest too early and crank up the green apple feel. For my tastes, I’d give it a B. I had a very comparable cepage white Graves last week which I liked a bit more, and it was hardly any more monies.