GV THANKSGIVING WINE RECOMMENDATION
When we hear Bordeaux, we tend to think about red wine. Complex, expensive, historic red wine. A walk down the Bordeaux isle at your local wine store is likely to confirm this reaction, although you might spy a few smaller and perhaps even more expensive bottles filled with a golden-hewed nectar called Sauternes at one end. But if you look closely, you may also find some full-sized bottles of white Bordeaux wine. If they’re there, chances are they are worth trying.
White wine production in Bordeaux is roughly 8% of total wine made in the region. Perhaps counter-intuitively, this small production level boosts the quality. Because demand for white wine is less than red, and because vineyard acreage iS incredibly expensive in Bordeaux (try $400,000 per acre for the decent stuff – no joke), white grapes are in the significant minority. Those wineries that do choose to produce whites, then, usually have a reason for doing it: it’s good, and they’re proud of it.
If Burgundy, France’s other elite wine region, is the world’s standard for singe variety wine (pinot noir and chardonnay), Bordeaux is the global standard for blended wines (with apologies to the Rhone Valley). Its reds are blended from a selection of the legally permissible grapes: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot, malbec and carménère. For whites, the list is half the length: sauvignon blanc, sémillon and muscadelle. Okay, the list is actually longer, but the others (colombard, ugni blanc, etc.) make up just 3% of total white production.
Depending on where a wine is made within Bordeaux, it is usually dominated either by sauvignon blanc or sémillon. Muscadelle, when present, plays the minor role. Sauvignon blanc and sémillon produce very, very different wines and one could easily be thrown off by the thought of blending them. Sauvignon blanc is higher in acid, leaner and driven more by citrus, green cover (grass and herbs) and minerality. It’s “sweet” flavors (the wine is completely dry) are unbaked – think honey or honeysuckle. Conversely, sémillon is lower in acid, creamier and driven by warm baked and spiced sweet flavors like apple pie, créme brûlée and lemon curd, with orange peel and ginger accents.
Most white Bordeaux is made with significantly more sauvignon blanc than sémillon. You get all the lovely citrusy acid and herbal goodness from the sauvignon blanc while the sémillon’s creaminess smooths out the rough edges and warms the flavors a bit. This is the profile you’re most likely to find in the grocery store, and it’s tasty. On the rare occasion that you find one priced above $25, you start to enter territory in which the wine benefits from a few years in bottle. The very best stuff, priced in the hundreds, demands half a decade, at least. But most white Bordeaux is priced very reasonably and is ready to drink within a year of being bottled.
One of these very reasonably priced wines is the 2016 Château Peybonhomme-les-Tours le blanc Bonhomme, which is a 50/50 blend of sauvignon blanc and sémillon. The Château is located on top of a hill in the village of Cars on the right bank of the Gironde river. The Hubert family has tended to the vineyards, which spread out over a 158 acre property, for six generations. The vineyards also happen to be certified biodynamic. A bit off the beaten path, it’s a wine worth seeking out. It’s one of the best white wines I’ve had this year under $30. It would be right at home on holiday tables with rich fish dishes, roasted chicken, roasted vegetables and foie gras.
Tasting note: Gave this half an hour decant, and the nose really blossomed. Loads of endearing honeysuckle, orchid, mashed pear, rich lemon curd and candied orange peel. Very lovely nose. The palate is medium-bodied and round with edges that are just ever so gritty, which enhances texture. The acid is nicely cut. Flavors hit close to the nose: honeysuckle, a big hit of pear, apricot and orange peel plus some great slate minerality and a brief hit of cream. A very impressive wine. 91 points. Value: A.
Where to buy:
Here’s where it gets tricky. Unless you live in New York or expect to find yourself there soon, you need to order this one online. The only reason I’m comfortable running this wine as a Try this Wine is because the two stores offering it are fantastic, and this wine is good enough to be a worthy excuse to spend half an hour on either store’s website and place an order for a number of great wines. The two stores:
Astor Wines, De Vinne Press Building, 399 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003.
212-674-7500.
Chamber Street Wines. 148 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007. 212-227-1434.
