Review by John Mariani Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) — Bordeaux, famous for its magnificent red wines, also makes a few good whites. Not many rank with their better counterparts from Burgundy, yet the prices for some white Bordeaux match all but the most illustrious Grand Crus. I exempt from this discussion Bordeaux’s enchanting dessert wines, Sauternes and Barsacs. Under the famous 1855 classification of the white wines of the Gironde, none were dry. Until the mid-1980s, Graves (where most of the better known whites come from), made such a wide variety of styles — light sauvignon blancs, herbaceous semillons, wines that were oaky or oxidized — that buyers had little consistency to base decisions on. Then, in 1987, the northern communes were given a higher classification of appellation, “Pessac-Leognan,” which challenged vintners to upgrade their facilities and products. Quality has improved overall. With such a short track record, it’s difficult to accept the argument that the better white Graves need a decade to mature. Few of even the great white burgundies get better over 10 years. And who has the patience to wait that long for a white Bordeaux? Recent tastings of several of the best-known Graves whites did little to change my mind. Fans celebrate their “flinty austerity,” which is another way of saying they have minimal fruit, lean body, and a short finish. Expensive Afterthought Chateau Lynch-Bages , owned by the AXA SA insurance group, makes a Fifth Growth red wine many believe should rank higher. But the 2006 Blanc de Lynch-Bages seems little more than an expensive afterthought, selling at between $40-$70. One on-line wine site finds “fruit, citrus, young, acidic, white, nutty, mineral, nuts, lemon, Mediterranean and subtropical fruits.” I’ll agree with it being white, but the only Mediterranean reference I buy is that it’s no better than a modest pinot grigio costing one-third the price. Carbonnieux Blanc 2006 ($30-$45) is indeed austere, like a performance of John Cage’s 4’ 33,” in which the pianist sits at the piano for 4 minutes and 33 seconds and plays nothing. There is only an aroma if you imagine it, only flavor if you squint your eyes, and were it not for its alcohol, you might mistake it for mineral water. Of those whites I enjoyed, Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux 2005 ($75-$135) is 100 percent sauvignon blanc and made to express that varietal’s floral, citrus and vegetal character. The high 14 percent alcohol helps rather than hinders in this case. This is not a lush Loire Valley-style sauvignon blanc, but there are mineral nuances here that make it a stand-out for Bordeaux. I do not, however, think it is getting any better after four years of age, so drink up now. Bordeaux Upgrade Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2005 ($70-$90) — made from 90 percent sauvignon blanc, 5 percent sauvignon gris and 5 percent semillon — shows the kind of upgrade Bordeaux whites have gone through. It’s pleasingly plump and balanced with enough acid to be refreshing while still delivering richness. With a lovely finish of minerality, it is excellent with seafood. For me, one of the great white Bordeaux is not even from Graves. It is Chateau Monbousquet , a St.-Emilion whose Grand Cru red brother has built a high reputation all its own since Parisian hypermarket magnate Gerard Perse bought and completely renovated the vineyards in 1993. I tasted the Monbousquet blanc 2004 by chance recently when I asked Emilie Garvey, sommelier at New York’s SHO Shaun Hergatt restaurant, to choose a good white wine for our dinner. ‘Fat, Buttery’ “It is a wine that is extremely allocated and difficult to get,” Garvey said. “It’s certainly not typical of Bordeaux whites, which have a lean, crisp, flinty flavor from the shells in the soil. Monbousquet has a fat, creamy, buttery taste and texture I think is the richest style in the market right now.” She’s right. The wine, which SHO sells for $220 a bottle, was a revelation — a white Bordeaux not shy about its body. In the nose, in the first sip and in the finish, here was a wine that showed the fullness of sauvignon blanc without the grassiness that can cripple the fruit. And that’s only the beginning: the blend has 35 percent sauvignon gris, 5 percent muscadelle and 5 percent semillon, each bringing nuance and floral flavors. Only about 450 cases are made each year, so the 2006 and 2007 vintages are bargains at about $40 to $70 a bottle at retail stores. By the way, if you’re going to SHO Shaun Hergatt, Garvey was only able to obtain three bottles and I drank one. So hurry. ( John Mariani writes on wine for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.) To contact the writer of this column: John Mariani at john@johnmariani.com .
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