Winemaker Notes
The clay–limestone of Garonne gravel found in the Pessac-Léognan Appellation certainly produces the best dry white wines in the Bordeaux region. When young, Carbonnieux Blanc is delightfully refreshing and pure with a fruity, floral intensity. When mature its develops hints of dried and candied fruits giving scope for a large range of gastronomic pairings.
Blend: 65% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Semillon
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Crisp and tight with fine citrus flavors, the wine is beautifully proportioned with textured, zesty acidity. It shows balance between its structure and its fruits that will only get better as it matures.
Barrel Sample: 93-95 -
Decanter
Salty and tangy, this has excellent energy and persistence, really driving from start to finish in a straight line, giving expression and nuance. Well delivered, good bitter edges as well as bright and shiny citrus - a real mix of orange peel, lemon, lime, fragrant lychee and perfumed tones. Aromatic, energetic, frame and texture. Lovely coolness. Lots going on with style and signature.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Richer notes of honeyed pineapple, crushed lemon, tangerine, and white flowers all emerge from the 2020 Château Carbonnieux Blanc, a bright, juicy, vibrant white that has medium-bodied richness, good mid-palate concentration, and a great finish. It's another utterly classic Grave white that will evolve for at least a decade.
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James Suckling
Lots of dried lemon, spiced pear, matchstick, and ginger aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, with light caramel, honey and some tropical fruits. Dense wine, but framed with phenolics. Delicious finish. Outstanding as always. 65% sauvignon and 35% semillon.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Carbonnieux Blanc has turned out very well in bottle, exhibiting attractive aromas of lemon oil, pomelo, crisp stone fruit, mint and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with a layered, concentrated mid-palate and a penetrating finish, it's a great success in the estate's Sauvginon-dominant style.
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Wine Spectator
Fresh and breezy, with a fleur de sel edge that adds nice energy to the core of gooseberry, white peach and lemon gelée. Presents a pretty quinine echo through the finish. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
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.