Winemaker Notes
Very expressive nose coming from Sauvignon Blanc and a very nice sweetness coming from Semillon. Good freshness and beautiful salinity. Good length.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Notes of apples and pears with citrus peel, leafy herbs and white flowers. Medium- to full-bodied with creamy texture. Viscous and polished with vivid acidity and a flavorful finish. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Typically, the production of white Pessac-Léognan comes from rare parcels of chalky soils. This wine has the same provenance. It is mainly Sauvignon Blanc, wood aged and with ripe white-fruit flavors that are cut with citrus. The wine is young, so drink from 2025.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
Delivers a kiss of shortbread that gives this a flattering hint, while white peach, Meyer lemon and floral notes maintain their zip and brightness throughout. Delicious. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 de France Blanc rolls out of the glass with notes of baked pears, apple sauce and nutmeg, plus hints of yuzu zest, fresh hay and grapefruit oil. The medium-bodied palate is chock-full of citrus and pear-inspired flavors with a racy backbone and decadent oiliness to the texture, finishing on a peppery note. Barrel Sample: 89 - 91
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Jeb Dunnuck
Spiced citrus, honeyed tangerine, white flowers, and a kiss of pink grapefruit all emerge from the 2020 Château De France Blanc, a medium-bodied, juicy, charming white to enjoy over the coming 3-5 years.
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.