I gotta take my own dang advice. I’m complicit, too, in spacing on these killer wines. How long has it been since I had a back-to-back salvo of white Bordeaux? It’s tough enough to get anyone to drink red BDX let alone white. One of my all-time favorite wines happens to be a white BDX: Chateau Carbonnieux. It ages well, is rich, regal, and distinctive. I have fond memories of drinking it at Le Caviste in Seattle.
Pont de Pierre in the city of Bordeaux / Photo by David McKelvey via Flickr
So when I serendipitously acquired two samples, I thought it time to wave the flag for a very good wine indeed.
White Bordeaux is going to be pretty much a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. I love these blends. (They are also particularly good in Australia’s Margaret River, where the wines are calls “SBS” because Aussies love to abbreviate things.) Sauv Blanc is zesty laser, and Semillon provides a rich roundness.
What I like about both bottles I drank is they have a good chunk o’ Semillon. One spends time in oak. WHICH IS GOOD. So let’s get to it.
A White Bordeaux Duo
Clos Floridene Graves 2013 ($30)
Photo via Denis Dubourdieu Domaines
This is a blend of 56% Sauvignon Blanc, 43% Semillon, and 1% Muscadelle. See, this is why above I said white Bordeaux is “pretty much” a SBS blend because some clown would mention sometimes there’s Muscadelle, blah blah blah. Said individual would probably sport a corresponding profile pic: nose deep-crammed in wine glass, eyes closed in chaste, faux bro ecstasy.
Anyway…
With five years in the bottle the oak steps back into a chilled-out, Oscar-worthy supporting role. The color of the wine has golden-ized a bit. Info on the winery’s website opines it could last a decade or more and I agree. Also Graves is a region and a very good one for white (and red) BDX.
I have no problem with this wine being $30. Though why would I, when I got the darn bottle for free? My point is if I spend $30 on this at a wine shop, I would feel it was money well spent. Also, newer vintages are closer to $20 so I’d buy like a sixer or a case and drink one every six months/year to see how it develops. That’s how we have CRAZY FUN with wine! BUCKLE UP, PARTY PEOPLE!!!
Légende Bordeaux Blanc 2017 ($18)
This white Bordeaux is quite distinguished, coming from the Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite). 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon, and (YES) 10% Sauvignon Gris comprise the wine’s makeup.
Confession: I actually thought this wine was oaked when I first tasted it. (Shows you what I know.) The Légende sent a butterscotch whiff wafting. Whoa. But after getting a touch of air, it chilled out into a lively, steely wine. Zest with a touch of plump. Racy freshness, especially in contrast to the more demure 2013.
If your only experience with Sauv Blanc is from New Zealand and you find it too over-the-top, a White Bordeaux like the Légende may change your mind about what the grape can do (for you). Especially when paired with Semillon.
Not sure it would develop like the Clos Floridene, nor is it supposed to be a wine like that, but I bet a year in the bottle would make this a champ.
But who cellars wine anymore? It’s a drink-now world. So don’t fret if you pick up a bottle THIS INSTANT.
This is actually a wine I would recommend decanting. Yes, a sub-$20 white wine. DO IT. You don’t need some fancy AF decanter that’s impossible to clean, either. A glass pitcher with do. If you don’t have a sufficient receptacle, open it like a half hour before you start drinking it.
It’s OK to treat an 18 dollar wine like royalty. Especially considering its pedigree.
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Both of these bottles would be very good cheese wines. Frankly, white wines are more versatile (aka BETTER) with cheese than reds. The Clos Floridene with more mature, richer and/or harder cheese. Freshy-fresh goat cheeses and softer ones would be in the Légende’s wheelhouse.
There’a also plenty of good white Bordeaux in the $10-15 range. (Praise!) They offer a lot of bang for the buck. So go forth and buy buy buy!
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