Winemaker Notes
Lune d’Argent is the heart of Clos des Lunes’ production. They firmly believe in the future of this legendary terroir and its truly original style. With a touch of French oak, the Sémillon is dense and rich, the Sauvignon Blanc refined and precise. This cuvée of dry white wine promises to convey all the magic of Sauternes.
Blend: 70% Sémillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 Clos Des Lunes Lune D'Argent Blanc offers rocking levels of stone fruits, orange zest, spice, and subtle brioche. It's clean, rich, and medium to full-bodied, with ample richness, a round, layered mouthfeel, and beautifully integrated acidity.
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James Suckling
A timid nose of pears, grapefruit and nectarines with stony austerity. The medium- to full-bodied palate shows precise texture and a growing saline note that adds complexity, turning incisive yet textural.
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Vinous
The 2023 Lune d'Argent was picked from August 28 to September 21 over several passes through the vines. It comprises 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc. The Lune d’Argent has an open nose, a little lighter than expected, though it gains intensity with aeration. Scents of Golden Delicious apple and light grass clippings emerge from the glass. The palate is nicely balanced with a fine bead of acidity, fresh and sapid, presenting a lovely umami sensation. It has a fair bit of complexity toward the pithy finish thanks to that Sémillon. Excellent.
Barrel Sample: 90-92 -
Decanter
Green peas and crisp green apples on the nose with citrus aromas. Juicy and alive, exotic pineapple, apricot and almost sweet lemon juice aspects, nothing too bitter or harsh at all, round with a gentle creaminess that comes in towards the mid palate while staying quiet lean and direct. Much less severe and acidic than I was thinking, really balanced and harmonious and so enjoyable to drink with a slate and mineral finish. A top value pick!
Barrel Sample: 91
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
One of the most important wine regions of the world, Bordeaux is a powerhouse producer of wines of all colors, sweetness levels, and price points. Separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a coastal pine forest, this relatively flat region has a mild maritime climate, marked by cool wet winters and warm summers. Annual weather differences create significant vintage variations, making Bordeaux an exciting French wine region to follow.
The Gironde estuary, a defining feature of Bordeaux, separates most of the region into the Left Bank and the Right Bank. Farther inland, where the Gironde splits into the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers, the bucolic, rolling hills of the area in between, called Entre-Deux-Mers, is a source of great quality, approachable reds and whites.
The Left Bank, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, contains the Médoc, Graves, and Sauternes, as well as the region’s most famous chateaux. Merlot is important here as the perfect blending grape for Cabernet Sauvignon adding plush fruit and softening Cabernet's sometimes hefty tannins. Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec may also be used in the Left Bank Bordeaux wine blends.
Merlot is the principal Bordeaux wine variety of the Right Bank; Cabernet Franc adds structure and complexity to Merlot, creating wines that are concentrated, supple, and more imminently ready for drinking, compared with their Left Bank counterparts. Key appellations of the Right Bank include St. Emilion and Pomerol.
Dry and sweet Bordeaux white wines are produced throughout the region from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and sometimes Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris. Some of the finest dry whites can be found in the Graves sub-appellation of Pessac-Léognan, while Sauternes is undisputedly the gold standard for sweet wines. Small amounts of rosé and sparkling Bordeaux wines are made in the region as well.