We don’t talk enough about dry white Bordeaux from appellations such as Graves and Pessac-Léognan. A little further south in Bordeaux, sweet whites from the same grapes (Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, principally) enjoy worldwide fame in Sauternes, Barsac, etc., but rarely do the dry styles get much airtime. All of us at SommSelect are big fans, however: Wines like this one from Château de Cérons are some of the most opulent expressions of the Sauvignon Blanc grape around, although it must be noted, of course, that most are blends containing a healthy percentage of the creamy, lower-acid Sémillon. From château to château, you’ll notice stylistic differences between the Sauvignon-driven and Sémillon-driven wines, with this wine falling squarely in the latter camp: It’s a layered, exotically aromatic style offering loads of pleasure right now.

This bottling is sourced from 45-year-old vines planted on soils of sand, clay, and gravel. It is fermented and aged in casks with regular stirring of the lees.  It pours a radiant yellow with flecks of straw and leaps from the glass with glorious tones of pomelo, creamed apple, green pear skin, white peach, grapefruit zest, straw, honey, acacia flowers, and hints of nutmeg spice. The palate is a textural wonder, lush and mouth coating, with a vibrant through-line of pulverized rock minerality and vibrant acidity. The finish is all gravel intensity, that rare white that smells of fruits and flowers yet also tastes like the earth it came from.