Winemaker Notes
The wine, barrel-aged on fine lees, is a crystal-clear with a slightly golden color. The lively aromas of Sauvignon Blanc grown on this terroir feature tropical fruit with citrus overtones. We enjoyed this wine’s aromas for a surprisingly long time before tasting it! The immediate impression on the palate is of fresh fruity, suave opulence without any heaviness. Delicate acidity enhances the structure of this generous wine and prolongs the pleasure on the aftertaste for several seconds. The lovely balance and mineral overtones of this dry white wine reflect the superb terroir and great respect for the fruit.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Fresh, lemon-jelly bouquet, but it also has some creamy richness which neatly balances the lively acidity on the palate. Long, polished finish with some salty minerality. A blend of 70 per cent sauvignon and 30 per cent semillon. Drink or hold.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Plenty of lemon blossom, white grapefruit, and floral notes emerge from the 2016 Château Lespault Martillac Blanc, which is based largely on Sauvignon yet includes 30% Sémillon. Aged in 35% new French oak, it’s medium-bodied, has good freshness and acidity, top-notch balance, and outstanding length, all making for a delicious Bordeaux Blanc to drink over the coming decade or more.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Chateau Lespault-Martillac 2016 Blanc is a blend of 75% Sauvignon Bland and 25% Sémillon. It displays good intensity on the nose with grapefruit, peach and mango aromas that are nicely defined. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, mango and papaya, quite saline in the mouth with good definition on what feels like a weighty finish. Tasted twice with consistent notes, this is a commendable dry white from Olivier Bernard.
Barrel Sample: 89-91 Points -
Wine Spectator
Fresh, showing lively cut to the mix of lemon pith, verbena and white peach flavors, with extra minerally zip through the finish. A light echo of shortbread lurks, which will likely blossom with a little time in bottle. Drink now through 2022.
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.