Winemaker Notes
Blanc Sec de Suduiraut 2018 has a light yellow color, with green hues. The nose reveals notes of white flowers, followed by aromas of pear, anise and a touch of hazelnut. The palate is unctuous with freshness, on citrus fruits and pear. The finish is long with aromas of lemon and anise and with a nice salinity.
Blend: 53% Semillon, 47% Sauvignon Blanc
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Lovely uplift, minerality and juice. Excellent sense of dancing across the palate. Hard to quibble with the fresh citrus and lime, if straying just a little high in terms of the fresh acidity through the final furlong. Drinking Window 2020 - 2026
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Le Blanc Sec de Suduiraut is composed of 53% Sémillon and 47% Sauvignon Blanc; it was barrel fermented and aged 55% in barrels (5% new) and the rest in vats. The nose is just a little closed, unfurling slowly to reveal warm apples, fresh peaches and lemongrass scents with hints of hay, celery seed and crushed rocks. Light to medium-bodied, the palate gives lovely freshness and plenty of chalky restraint, finishing minerally.
Barrel Sample: 89-91 -
James Suckling
Some quite waxy aromas here and dried lemon and pears abound. There’s a smooth feel to the palate and a gently spicy, creamy edge to the finish.
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.
One of the most important wine regions of the world, Bordeaux is a powerhouse producer of wines of all colors, sweetness levels, and price points. Separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a coastal pine forest, this relatively flat region has a mild maritime climate, marked by cool wet winters and warm summers. Annual weather differences create significant vintage variations, making Bordeaux an exciting French wine region to follow.
The Gironde estuary, a defining feature of Bordeaux, separates most of the region into the Left Bank and the Right Bank. Farther inland, where the Gironde splits into the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers, the bucolic, rolling hills of the area in between, called Entre-Deux-Mers, is a source of great quality, approachable reds and whites.
The Left Bank, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, contains the Médoc, Graves, and Sauternes, as well as the region’s most famous chateaux. Merlot is important here as the perfect blending grape for Cabernet Sauvignon adding plush fruit and softening Cabernet's sometimes hefty tannins. Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec may also be used in the Left Bank Bordeaux wine blends.
Merlot is the principal Bordeaux wine variety of the Right Bank; Cabernet Franc adds structure and complexity to Merlot, creating wines that are concentrated, supple, and more imminently ready for drinking, compared with their Left Bank counterparts. Key appellations of the Right Bank include St. Emilion and Pomerol.
Dry and sweet Bordeaux white wines are produced throughout the region from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and sometimes Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris. Some of the finest dry whites can be found in the Graves sub-appellation of Pessac-Léognan, while Sauternes is undisputedly the gold standard for sweet wines. Small amounts of rosé and sparkling Bordeaux wines are made in the region as well.