Château Beynat Bordeaux Blanc Moi J’Ai Un Rêve 2021

Back to the world of white wines in Bordeaux this week, and to the less conventional end of the white spectrum, with a wine from Alain Tourenne – self-professed vigneron magicien – of Château Beynat.

Here we have left behind the traditional white zone of Graves and Pessac-Léognan, and even the increasingly white Médoc peninsula where there are now close to a hundred châteaux turning out a white to complement their red grand vin, to arrive on the right bank. Château Beynat is located in the commune of Saint-Magne-de-Castillon, just outside the town of the same name; this places it just around the corner from the Durantou property Château Montlandrie, and downslope from that other Castillon favourite, Clos Puy Arnaud.

Indeed, the three domaines share some similarities; like Thierry Valette at Clos Puy Arnaud, Alain Tourenne is committed to biodynamics, having secured certification in 2019, and all three domaines produce a traditional Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, the blend dominated by Merlot.

That is, perhaps, where the similarities end, as Alain works his magic (his words, not mine – vigneron magicien is how he describes himself on the back label) to craft a complex portfolio of wines with at least a dozen different cuvées, in white, rosé and red. There are reds from vines trained exclusively on lyres, zero-added-sulphite cuvees, a pure Malbec cuvée, an orange wine and wines vinified in amphorae. Or more correctly, before any amphora anoraks pull me up on this, dolia (more on which below). As the label (above) perhaps suggests, it is the latter style that we are dealing with here.

Alain produces four white cuvées, made using various combinations of the conventional Bordeaux varieties, led by Sauvignon Blanc, sometimes with significant dollops of Sauvignon Gris and Semillon. This cuvée is an exception to that rule, being 100% Sauvignon Blanc, picked later for maturity (which certainly comes through in the aromatic profile), pressed without any significant skin contact, and the juice is fermented in dolia (singular: dolium), squat earthenware jars (as pictured on the label) similar to the Georgian qvevri. Their use is said to date back to the Roman period, and lined with pitch or wax they were used for the storage of wine and olive oil as well as dry produce. Alain’s dolia hold 380 litres; while resting within the wine saw some bâtonnage during ten months of élevage, but no racking.

In the glass the 2021 Bordeaux Blanc Moi J’Ai Un Rêve from Château Beynat displays a polished lemon-gold hue, and on the nose it speaks of Sauvignon’s aromatic side, with nuances of roses, pine needle, apricot, jasmine and mango. This is matched by a rich and textural palate, firm and rather big-boned but with a soft acid profile, which I find surprising for the 2021 vintage but which presumably reflects later picking and the maturity of the fruit. There is plenty of bitter grip for backbone though, and it supports layers of orange peel, jasmine, rose and white pepper. Bold with a firm and peppery finish, this is not the liveliest example of white Bordeaux I have tasted in recent months, but it is certainly distinctive and intriguing, and it has a little length. I think it best earmarked for current drinking. Just 2,200 bottles were produced. The alcohol on the label is declared to be 14%. 88/100 (13/11/23)

Read more in:

• My guide to the Bordeaux appellation
• My various reports on the Bordeaux 2021 vintage

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