Winemaker Notes
Ideally, it should be kept for a few years to reach its peak, at which time it will be delightful with fish, seafood, and cheeses.
Blend: 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Sauvignon Gris
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Green-apple and lemon aromas follow through to a full body. Lots of exotic fruit and vanilla character. Bright finish. Deliciously rich for the vintage.
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Decanter
From a zippy blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Sauvignon Gris. Expect technical, precision winemaking from this property, which in 2014 included skin maceration to naturally lower the acidity. Consultant here is Valérie Lavigne, who works alongside Denis Dubourdieu at the ISVV and is a specialist in white wines - so great care is taken to work on the aromatics of the grapes, from a cold soak at 5°C to ensure aromas are extracted without bitterness, and restrained use of 20% new oak, that is used alongside 60% stainless steel and 20% large wooden vats - all to avoid damaging the citrus, cut grass and stone fruit aromas of the Sauvignon. Certainly there is great potential on display here with fresh acidity but clean fruit definition and an attractive mid-palate weight. As with the reds, great potential at this property.
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Wine Enthusiast
Tangy and zesty, this is a crisp wine. It has tight acidity and a strongly citrus character. There are bright gooseberry and herbal flavors that show strongly. The downside is it is one-dimensional: all herbal fruit and crisp acidity. Drink from 2020.
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Wine Spectator
Sel gris and lime zest notes give this zip and energy, while tarragon and chive elements add to the background. Not big, but offers a chiseled feel. Score range: 88-91
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Couhins-Lurton Blanc has a similar bouquet to the one I encountered out of barrel, with plenty of citrus fruit mixed with yellow flowers. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry: citrus lemon mixed with orange rind and a touch of peach. I love the balance of this white Pessac-Léognan and the energy on the effervescent finish. It punches above my expectation and comes recommended.
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.