Recommend Bordeaux Blancs?

Hi all,
We enjoyed a very good 1990 Bordeaux blanc from Pessac-Leognan over the weekend (TN: TN: 1990 Château La Louvière Blanc (France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan) - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers). I kinda wrote off sauv blanc for a variety of reasons, but trying a really good aged one has me reconsidering getting a few to lay down.

Any thoughts or recommended chateaus? Do vintages track with the reds pretty well (in terms of ageing), or is it a different animal altogether?

Appreciate the help.

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Carbonnieux’s blanc’s are a good place to start. They can age.

Personally I don’t care for the White Graves category, but in the rare times I drink them, I look for Denis Dubordieu’s (decd) stable - Clos Floridene Blanc, Reynon Blanc are two that might be available especially since Total Wine has some in with this family.

I agree. This was a beautiful bottle.
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For more recent suggestions, Les Champs Libres from the Ch Lafleur stable is mightily impressive

Ch de Fieuzal blanc. I’ve got multiple vintages in the cellar going back to 01. Ages really well and can gain some remarkable pungency with age. Unfortunately I’ve experienced a higher than average rate of pre-mox and TCA in this genre, multiple properties, so beware before making the commitment.

BTW, not necessarily an ager but a consistently great BDX blanc style is the DeLille Chaleur estate blanc. An annual must buy. Cheers.

Domaine de Chevalier makes a lovely, age worthy rendition. Slightly richer with less citric notes is the Smith Haut Lafitte blanc.

At the lower end of the price range, I’m excited to try the new Asphodele from Climens. Doisy Daene makes a very crisp rendition under $25. I haven’t been much impressed by Clos Floridene but it’s in nearly every restaurant in Bordeaux if that means anything

If you’re serious about aging it and want to stay semi-affordable, this is a great choice. I don’t collect it myself but our tasting group has done a number of verticals with DDC of various ages and it’s really an excellent wine.

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Malartic Lagraviere Blanc is a good price range option, I have a 2015 open now to check on the vintage and it is drinking well in a SB dominant fashion and will be firing on all cylinders with 10 years cellaring

For the last year or so, there’s been a white Bordeaux kicking around the East Coast distribution channel, called the 2018 Les Caillouxs Blanc.

It’s reputed to be surplus juice from one of the aforementioned classified growths of 1959, and it’s a very competently made wine, quite clean & varietally correct.

It might have enough heft from the 2018 vintage to be cellarable out towards the 15 or 20 year mark, and it’s about 1/50th to 1/100th the price of a Clarence Dillon wine.

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Thanks all. Some names I recognize there. I’ve had Carbonnieux before but young, not aged, and I have some Chevalier reds in the cellar. That means my local shop can likely get these regularly.

I’ll ask about the others. Thanks.

Smith Haut Lafite gives me everything I need from white bordeaux. Wonderful with age.

Since you like La Louvière, you could try the stablemate, Couhins-Lurton. It’s similar in style but can be a little more refined. It ages just as well. As an alternative to Clos Floridène, you could try Château Chantegrive Cuvée Caroline, at about the same price. A lot depends on if you like oak - Bordeaux whites are usually full of it, so perhaps try a few of the cheaper ones first if you’re not sure!

Julian, I just saw your TNs on CT. You are a real star, tasting huge numbers of French wines up and down the price range!

I´ll sum up my experiences, since we taste it regularily.

TOP (but frightfully expensive, 500-1000):
Haut Brion blanc
La Mission-HB blanc (former Laville-HB)
Pape Clement (a bit cheaper)

Often as good:
Fieuzal blanc
Domaine de Chevalier
Smith-Haut-Lafitte
Pavillon blanc (de Chateau Margaux)

Often excellent:
Carbonnieux
Malartic-Lagraviere
La Tour-Martillac
Olivier (younger vintages)
Aile d´Argent (de Mouton-R)

Excellent value:
La Louviere
Clos Floridene
Couhins-Lurton
Talbot blanc

OK:
Bouscaut
Rochemorin

Not recommended: Cos d´Estournel blanc (very bad value)

You might find the DDC blanc scarcer & dearer than the rouge. I would not count on a shop being able to pin down the white for you just because they can get the red in this situation.

I dislike the higher end white Pessac’s even more than the lower/mid level ones!

I think all the suggestions here are just great. For a braod overview on white Boreaux wine, you might want to read this page. It has tips from Pessac Leognan and Graves as you might expect, but also most of the other appellations making white Bordeaux wine today. Learn about Best White Bordeaux Wines, Vineyards, Taste, Grapes

Thanks for putting together this useful summary, Robert. Omitted, but in what category would you put Graville-Lacoste?

Sorry, never tasted

Thanks all. The article was great as are all the recommendations. I think the wallet is going to take a hit next month.

Not much to add on top of what others have said but I’ll also vouch for Domaine de Chevalier (I think their white is better than their red), Carbonnieux, and especially Smith Haut Lafitte.