I have been very happy with the direction of red Bordeaux over the past 5+ years. It seems that through a combination of improved practices in the vineyard and changes in the cellar, many chateaux have begun to produce red Bordeaux (at least on the Left Bank) that is fresher, more aromatic, less extracted, and slightly lower in alcohol. To me it represents a lovely synthesis of classic claret married with the realities of a warmer climate.
My question is whether there is any sign that producers have begun to rethink white Bordeaux in the same way? I love traditional white Bordeaux – long-lived, textured, with a heavy percentage of semillon. Instead, many chateaux have taken the opposite approach to compete with Sancerre and New Zealand – Sav Blanc dominated with Sancerre clones. There are still some producers that seemingly have resisted this trend (DDC, Bouscaut, L-HB, etc), but they are a dwindling few.
Any hope that there will be a movement to marry a classic rendition of white Bordeaux with the modern climate?
I’m a big fan of white Bordeaux. I love the big, Semillon-influenced Classifieds from Pessac-Leognan but also love basic Graves, E2M, white Bordeaux and Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc as everyday drinkers.
For the most part, I don’t think these less expensive white Bordeaux are trying to compete with Loire and NZ, I think they are tweaking a wonderful style that has existed for a long time. I find notes of hay and grass that that I don’t often get from the Loire, without the grapefruit aromas and flavors that ruin NZ versions for me.
From your note, it sounds like the less expensive white Bordeaux are not part of your mix. Please let us know. Graville-Lacoste has been a go-to for me for decades, I also like Clos Floridene (more money, harder to find) and Chantegrive.
I guess I am less concerned with the direction of less expensive white Bordeaux, and more interested in the philosophy of “serious” White Bordeaux producers in Pessac and elsewhere in Bordeaux. Serious doesn’t have to mean expensive, as illustrated by Bouscaut, Larrivet Haut Brion, etc. But rather estates trying to make white Bordeaux that rivals other top white wines around the world. It seems to me that the influence of Denis Dubourdieu has been towards a more sauvignon blanc focused interpretation of white Bordeaux, even at the high end. See, for example, white Bordeaux projects like Le Petit Cheval and Les Champs Libres (recognizing these are Right Bank estates).
I guess my concern is that old-school white Bordeaux, dominated by semillon and long-lived, seems increasingly unfashionable and my hope is that there will be a counter-revolution that recognizes that you can make crisp, flinty SB blanc other places, but that Bordeaux has the opportunity to produce age-worthy white wines that stand in good company with other top white wines from around the world. Perhaps there is some hope that estates in Barsac and Sauternes will begin to allocate some of their best semillon and SB vines to dry white Bordeaux as fewer sweet wines are sold?
I’m quite interested in the topic. Thanks for starting it.
Are ageworthy BB producers switching to DIAM? I know premox was a problem aging BB in the past.
You didn’t encounter it or hear about it very often but that was because most of us just drink so few BB — as a percentage I think it used to be as bad as Burgundy and other ageable dry whites.
Great question. I know that Domaine de Chevalier switched to Diam in 2015 for their whites. I haven’t heard of other producers making the switch, but I would strongly support that. I have also had premox issues.
I think this argument is difficult to sustain, given that the vast majority of white Bordeaux producers adopted Dubourdieu’s thiol-driven Sauvignon-dominant approach to white wine wholesale, giving the same passionfruit, grapefruit and boxwood vegetation aromas you find in Sauvignon all over the world and above all NZ.
Many have, including Domaine Clarence Dillon. Generally, in the first years, there is a bit of a learning curve whereby sulfite levels are a bit high for the much more reductive closure, and the first vintages can be a bit tight/reduced out of the gates as a result (as often happens when producers transition in Burgundy and elsewhere).
How do you categorize current Carbonnieux in terms of these trends we are trying to quantify? I’ve only had the 2021 recently, and while I loved it, it seems to be a somewhat polarizing style of bordeaux blanc amongst some individuals I’ve spoken to, which surprised me.
Thank you for your comment. I admit to being a little puzzled and would be grateful for any elucidation.
I believe that all of the wines I mentioned have significant proportions of Semillon, which to me sets them apart from the pure Sauvignons you mention. Half a century ago white Graves was a staple for me. Do many of them now seem to have a little more bright Sauvignon character? Yes, but to me it is nicely offset by the Semillon. Also, while I get the passionfruit and especially the boxwood, I don’t get grapefruit at all; if I did, I wouldn’t still be drinking them!
The biggest issue with White Bordeaux today is climate change. In the very hot, dry vintages the wines can lack acidity. In the cooler years, there are numerous wines from Pessac Leognan, and the Medoc which can be outstanding.
While they are not the savior of White Bordeaux, I really enjoy several of the new blends you find in the Medoc and Right Bank with non Bordeaux varietals.
Chardonnay, Gros Manseng, Viognier, Petit Manseng, Albarino and Savagnin are grapes I see in blends with Sauvignon and Semillon today.
As a casual consumer I have never understood the value proposition of white Bordeaux. $100+, let alone $200 or more, is a whole lot for a white wine and I’ve never had a white Bordeaux that seemed striking or distinctive enough to set it apart from other regions in the way even lower level white Burgundy can do. I’d rather explore Italy/Australia/NZ/Oregon/Loire for less money or you could also get the best satellite or village apellations in white Burgundy for similar money.
Compare red Bordeaux where the value proposition is actually fantastic, with age-worthy Cabernet blends at every price point that are far superior to what you can get elsewhere for the same $, or it’s even impossible to get the same combination of quality and ageability.
As a casual consumer I have never understood the value proposition of red Bordeaux. $100+, let alone $200 or more, is a whole lot for a red wine and I’ve never had a red Bordeaux that seemed striking or distinctive enough to set it apart from other regions in the way even lower level red Burgundy can do.
Compare white Bordeaux where the value proposition is actually fantastic, with age-worthy Semillon blends at every price point that are far superior to what you can get elsewhere for the same $
What are some recent vintages that you think are especially good for white Bdx?
Edit: I looked on your site and found this comment
2021 Dry white Bordeaux wines are superb. In fact, this is the best vintage for white Bordeaux wine in years. The wines offer everything fans of Bordeaux Blanc could ever want in a wine. They exude purity, freshness, lift, and vibrancy. The fruits are aromatic, sweet, ripe, and sizzling with the racy acidities that are unique to Bordeaux. It is interesting to note that only one wine this year garnered a perfect 100 Pt score, and it is white wine!
Read more at:2021 Bordeaux Blanc Report, Tasting Notes, Vintage Info, Ratings
2021 Carbonnieux blanc is totally delicious right now.