Winemaker Notes
Very complex on the nose, with citrus notes, superb spice and pepper aromas then a clear mineral nuance. On the palate, we find the dominant characteristics of the 2015 vintage, with strength and smoothness. It is almost sensually full-bodied, with a promising aromatic expression. This wine will age well and will perfectly accompany a variety of different dishe.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Loads of dried limes, cooked apples and dried lavender. Full-bodied, layered and flavorful. The dried fruits are intense and lively on the finish. Driven white with lots of precise character and energy
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Brown Blanc has a lively, showy bouquet with lime cordial and freshly squeezed grapefruit scents that are neatly entwined with the new oak. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry, tropical tones of nectarine, Clementine and peach rending this almost drinkable now. It is well balanced and displays fine length, a white Pessac that should give great pleasure over the next 12-15 years. Barrel Sample: 91-93
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Wine Spectator
Racy and well-defined, with mouthwatering thyme, verbena and chamomile notes leading the way, backed by lively lemon zest, white peach and star fruit flavors. Offers a salted butter finish. Drink now through 2022.
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Decanter
Lemon peel with rich apricot crunch, from 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Semillon. Good weight of clean fruit with touches of spark – just a touch too soft to really grip through the palate. Still an extremely pretty wine.
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.
Recognized for its superior reds as well as whites, Pessac-Léognan on the Left Bank claims classified growths for both—making it quite unique in comparison to its neighboring Médoc properties.
Pessac’s Chateau Haut-Brion, the only first growth located outside of the Médoc, is said to have been the first to conceptualize fine red wine in Bordeaux back in the late 1600s. The estate, along with its high-esteemed neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pique-Caillou and Chateau Pape-Clément are today all but enveloped by the city of Bordeaux. The rest of the vineyards of Pessac-Léognan are in clearings of heavily forested area or abutting dense suburbs.
Arid sand and gravel on top of clay and limestone make the area unique and conducive to growing Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc as well as the grapes in the usual Left Bank red recipe: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and miniscule percentages of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
The best reds will show great force and finesse with inky blue and black fruit, mushroom, forest, tobacco, iodine and a smooth and intriguing texture.
Its best whites show complexity, longevity and no lack of exotic twists on citrus, tropical and stone fruit with pronounced floral and spice characteristics.