TOP

Bordeaux Wine Guide: White Varieties

In the mid-20th century the vineyards of Bordeaux were dominated by white grape varieties, but the predominance of white varieties has since declined dramatically as plantings of more fashionable red vines have taken over. Within a few decades the balance in the vineyard has shifted dramatically, and the once dominant white varieties now account for only 10% of planted vines, while red vines account for 90%. This is in my opinion a great shame, as many vineyards currently committed to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc would probably make much better white wines than they do red.

As I have discussed in my guide to the red Bordeaux grapes, the blend is king in Bordeaux. Finding a monovarietal white wine is only a little more likely than it is for red wine. Semillon does occasionally rule in isolation, a classic example being at Château Climens, although in most cases the wines of Sauternes and Barsac are blends that include other varieties intended to add freshness and zip to Semillon’s weight, or even a little fragrant perfume to the blend. Slightly more likely is the discovery of wines that are purely Sauvignon Blanc, dry whites in the main, such as Pavillon Blanc from Château Margaux. Sauvignon Blanc can appear in isolation in sweet wines though, as seen in the super-cuvée L’Extravagant de Doisy-Daëne (which in recent vintages has been 100% Sauvignon Blanc, although this has not always been the case).

All the same, these monovarietal wines are the exceptions to the rule rather than the norm. So, as with the reds, understanding white Bordeaux from a varietal point of view is mostly about understanding what any one variety can bring to a blend, rather than knowing what the varieties do in isolation. These blends rely on an even narrower group of varieties than the red wines, however, with only two varieties commonly encountered, with other varieties adding a little seasoning here and there, but never dominating. I will deal with the ‘big two’, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, first.

My white varietal vignettes are as follows:

Click on these links to see the individual vignettes, or follow the links in the box, above right. (5125/13)