White Graves

This was an illuminating tasting, providing an insight into some of the Graves region’s recent vintages while also providing an opportunity to taste older vintages and see how the wines have developed. The panel were left with more questions than answers but, in the right hands, it’s clear that the best white Graves wines can be a match quality wise for some of the better-known Burgundy Côte d’Or appellations, and often at considerably keener prices.

The panel tasted dry white wines from Graves and Pessac-Léognan. Both APs lie to the south and southwest of Bordeaux, with the northern parts of Pessac-Léognan close to the city, and the greater Graves area extending south as far as the sweet-wine dominated appellations of Cérons, Barsac and Sauternes. Soils are far from homogenous across the dry white Bordeaux vineyards, with those of Graves usually a mix of gravel, sand, clay and limestone; Pessac-Léognan is dominated by gravel soils, ranging in thickness from a few inches to several metres.

White Bordeaux wines are usually a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, some using small amounts of Muscadelle and Sauvignon Gris – the latter adding an extra layer of exotic flavour to the blend. Oak is frequently used for fermentation and maturation in premium wines destined for long ageing, imparting to the wines a richness and powerful personality together with pronounced floral notes and zesty citrus flavours. As seen in this tasting, the best white Bordeaux are capable of keeping