Bordeaux’s Unsung Hero: White Wine

                            A blend of Sauv Blanc & Semillon, this wine is a stunner

White wine in Bordeaux?  Surely that’s an oxymoron!   But, I’m here to tell you that it is not a contradiction.   Yes, many folks may know that Bordeaux produces white sweet wines (Sauternes), but that’s not what I’m talking about.  White dry Bordeaux is one of the most spectacular white wines I know.  Maybe I’m drawn to it because it’s unique?  That could be a possibility, but I think it’s a real star, period.

Let’s start with the grapes.  White dry Bordeaux is a combination of two grapes of which I’m particularly fond:  Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.   Most wine aficionados know  Sauv Blanc as this aromatic varietal is quite popular at the moment in many wine-centric countries of the world.   Depending on where it is grown, the varietal can offer different flavor profiles.   Cooler climate renditions, for example, serve up a palate of lemon and other citrus fruits along with green apples.  Warmer weather Sauv Blancs move to the tropical side of the scale with papaya, melon and even pineapple.

Semillon, on the other hand, is not a grape that many wine-lovers know….unless they are into sweet wine.   Once considered the most widely planted white wine grape in the world, Semillon has fallen out of style in many countries.  Still popular as a varietal in France and Australia, it is rarely seen in the US.   It’s such a pity as the Semillon grape makes a full-bodied wine with enticing flavors (think pears and papayas), however, it’s Semillon’s voluptuous texture that grabs me.  

Dry white Bordeaux is a blended wine with both Sauv Blanc and Semillon represented.   Very few wine shops carry it in the US, but don’t let that deter you as it is available online for in-the-know lovers of wine.   The good news is that because it is unknown, there is not much of a demand, hence, prices are extremely reasonable. 

Check out these great unsung heroes:

~ Chateau Haut–Mayne $15---a definite best buy

~ Chateau Haut Bertinerie $25

~ Chateau Chantegrive Oiseaux  $25

~ Chateau La Louviere:  $45

Very few Bordeaux chateaux produce white wine.   But, this wine is worth seeking-out!

A White Christmas

White Bordeaux completes the perfect White Christmas

I’m dreaming of a White Christmas.  While I love red Bordeaux, I’m thinking of dry white Bordeaux this year …perfect for San Diego’s warm December weather.  Perfectly timed for a White Christmas was a white Bordeaux tasting I just attended.  Held by a very sophisticated and savvy group of wine lovers (the Commanderie de Bordeaux of which I am a member), the blind tasting’s findings are below.

Before unveiling the winners, let’s review white Bordeaux.  Produced primarily from Sauvignon Blanc, these gorgeous relatively unknown wines also are often blended with Semillon.  While Sauv Blanc should be familiar to many, Semillon is often not.  One of the things I most love about Semillon is its luxurious, velvet-like texture.  Its flavor profile ranges from citrus in less ripe grapes, to tropical flavors in perfectly ripened grapes.  Mixed with the high acidity of Sauv Blanc, white Bordeaux can be a marriage made in heaven.

While extraordinary whites are made by some of the top Grand Cru Chateaux (e.g. Premier Grand Cru Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc which sells for about $850 a bottle), the Commanderie de Bordeaux tasting excluded all Grand Cru chateaux.  Eight members of our group tasted >10 bottles from the 2014 vintage.  Prices ranged from $28 to $14.  Here are the top three from our group's consensus:

• 1st:  Chateau Charmed-Godard ($23)
• 2nd:  Clos Floridine $26
• 3rd:  Chateau Doisy Daene ($23)

The best wine of all tasted was disqualified because it was from the 2015 vintage.  Personally, this one was my hands-down favorite, however, the 2015 weather presented Bordeaux with much riper fruit than the year prior.  This gorgeous wine was made by Chateau Haut Mayne in Graves and offered a killer price quality ratio of a mere $12.  If you find it, buy a case or two.  It’s an extraordinary value.

If you don’t know white Bordeaux, you should.  Make your Christmas a white one this year!