Winemaker Notes
The 2016 vintage once again reveals the originality of the terroir producing this Chateau La Garde white. Light and long on the bouquet, where dominant Sauvignon Blanc on limestone offer minerality and intense citrus fruit aromas, together with a hint of smoke. The mineral character is echoed on the palate, where great poise and length counterweight the great aromatic intensity, freshness and rich character from the supporting, entirely complementary Semillon grown on the gravel plateau. Freshness defines the 2016 vintage of this harmonious, fragrant wine.
Blend: 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 14% Semillon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Beautiful aromas of dried lemons, peaches, and cooked apples. Hints of cream. Lime at the end. Full body, yet agile and very fresh. Bright and electric. Salty undertones. A blend of 86 per cent sauvignon blanc and 14 per cent semillon.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is richly endowed with a white fruit core that's graced by hints of lemon and wood spice. It is a finely structured wine, hinting at a ripe, full future.
Barrel Sample: 92-94 -
Wine Spectator
Crunchy acidity drives a mix of jasmine, acacia, lime pith, white peach, meringue and shortbread notes along. Shows lots of zip now, with a bit more body to come with time in the bottle. Very tasty. Drink now through 2022.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Blanc has very pretty peach blossoms, pink grapefruit and pineapple notes with touches of musk perfume and jasmine. The palate is medium-bodied with a lively line cutting through the intense stone fruit and tropical flavors, finishing long.
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.