Winemaker Notes
Blend: 56% Sémillon, 29% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Sauvignon Gris
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Quite varietal on the nose, elderflower, green apple, white floral notes and some crisp peach elements. White peach and pear, super cool and clear, a light touch of acidity with a hint of citrus but this is more on stone fruit and mineral freshness. Not so plump really but balanced nonetheless and super easy to drink. Ends clean. Bottled in February 2025. Represents 75% of the production of dry wines. 3.15pH.
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James Suckling
Smoked herbs and gooseberries with stones and sliced apples. Really fresh and medium-bodied, with good a texture and finish. Very good balance.
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Vinous
The 2024 Blanc Sec Lions de Suduiraut is fabulous. Intensely aromatic and deep, the 2024 is so impressive right out of the gate. Orchard fruit, white flowers, sage, mint and tomato leaf race across the palate, framed by brisk acids that pull it all together.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Fermented in tank and barrel and already bottled, the 2024 Lions De Suduiraut Blanc is 56% Semillon, 29% Sauvignon Blanc, and the rest Sauvignon Gris. Clean, classic citrus, melon, minty herbs, and a kiss of spice all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, with a vibrant, pure, clean style that's hard to resist.
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.