Winemaker Notes
Attractive pale yellow in appearance, the wine reveals elegant aromas of white peach and lemony verbena. The wine is generous and perfumed on the palate from the outset. Se´millon, the predominant grape variety, imparts richness and body to the wine, balanced by the Sauvignon and culminating in a fresh, citrus-laden finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of cooked lemon, guava, flint and nettles. It’s medium-bodied with bright, tangy acidity. Fresh and precise with citrus notes on the finish. Drink or hold.
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Decanter
This wine majors more on stone fruits than citrus. It's a definite gourmet style although still with a punch of freshness running through the core. Good, enjoyable stuff from Dourthe.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from the Graves region south of the city of Bordeaux, the 2018 Château Rahoul Blanc reveals a light gold hue as well as beautiful, vibrant notes of lemon curd, honeyed grapefruit, and crushed rock-like minerality. It's medium-bodied, with bright yet integrated acidity, notable balance, and a great finish. A hidden gem of a white, it has real character and should keep for 2-4 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.
Famous for both its red and white wines, Graves is a large region, extending 30 miles southeast of the city of Bordeaux, along the left bank of the Garonne River. Red wine producing vineyards cover well over three times as much area as the whites. In the late 1980s, the French created the separate appellation of Pessac-Léognan within the northern confines of Graves. It includes all of its most famous properties, and the southern suburbs of the city Bordeaux itself. In French "graves" is a term used to indicate gravelly soils.