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Château Fourcas Dupré Blanc 2021

Back to my intermittent exploration of less well known Bordeaux whites (by which I mean essentially mean wines from appellations other than Pessac-Léognan, that’s all) this week, and we return once again to the commune of Listrac-Médoc.

The white of Château Fourcas-Dupré is one that has appeared on these pages before (in a previous vintage, obviously), but much has changed here in the past few years. So it seemed to me that it would be worth coming back to the most recent vintage, to see what is new.

One noteworthy development here is a change of hands; for years the property of the Pagès family, in 2019 the property was sold, the buyer one Gérard Jicquel. The most significant consequence of this (if not the most visible – witness the rather swanky new label below) has been a massive uplift in investment, resulting in an expansion of the vineyard and a complete refurbishment of the winemaking facilities. The vineyard has seen the addition of 12 hectares (all red by the way, so not really relevant to this cuvée), and the cellars have seen a significant upgrade. This work was overseen by architect-engineer Olivier Chadebost, who has projects at Château Montlabert and Château Angélus (to name just two) under his belt. Indeed, when I passed Château Fourcas-Dupré during the 2022 vintage primeurs, on my way up to have dinner at the Café Lavinal, it was unrecognisable, the roadside buildings having been completely gutted.

Château Fourcas Dupré Blanc 2021

The estate has only two very small parcels dedicated to white varieties, both of which are located (as hinted at on the label) in the lieu-dit of Canteranne, which sits to the east of the village of Le Fourcas. In total there are 1.22 hectares planted, including a parcel of Semillon on clay-limestone soils close to the château, and another of Sauvignon Blanc planted on sandy clay over limestone on the edge of the appellation. The fruit is picked by hand, in the case of the 2021 vintage at a yield of 35 hl/ha. After sorting and pressing the juice was vinified in a selection of vessels, including 60% new barrels, 25% amphorae and 15% stainless steel.

In the glass the 2021 Château Fourcas Dupré Blanc, a blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Semillon, seems rather quiet on the nose at first, and it needs half an hour or so to get going. As it does so it eventually releases some delicate crystalline aromas of melon and vanilla flower, with a little dusty white pepper on the side, but in truth this is a wine which never really seems to fully open up. The palate presents the same gentle charm, here leaning more towards notes of peach and orange peel, so it at least has some character. Beneath this there lies a delicately sinewy texture, with thin veins of phenolic bitterness and grip, and a fine current of acidity which feels correct for the vintage. There are some appealing notes here, but this feels remarkably subdued right now; perhaps it will show better given the benefit of five or six years in bottle, when the Semillon will have hopefully emerged from its shell? Here’s hoping. Just 7,000 bottles produced, and the alcohol on the label is 13%. 87/100 (31/7/23)

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