White Burgundy has a “brand name” that has let it capture a premium price. There are some very good white Burgundies for under $50, and that may be a future post. But this post is about white Bordeaux wines. Bordeaux is justifiably known worldwide for its great red wines. The classified wines of Medoc and St. Emilion are truly outstanding and deserving of the premium price that they command. Much less attention is given to the many very good red wines from Bordeaux that sell for under $30 and that will be one of my next posts. The Bordeaux estates famous for their red wines also make some wonderful white wines and while not at the level of their red wines, those white wines do command a premium price, most often over $100. What I think is the least appreciated segment of Bordeaux is their white wines that are under $30 a bottle and in my recommendations I include three around $11 a bottle.
Situated south of Bordeaux left bank’s prestigious châteaux, the appellation Graves is among the best sources for delicious and versatile white wines. Its clay-and-limestone soils are ideal for growing Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle: grapes that are used for both sweet Sauternes and dry Graves. The Entre-Deux-Mers region is starting to get attention and is where some of the great white wine bargains are to be found in Bordeaux. The name translates to “between the two waters and is the region between the Gironde River, the one most known in Bordeaux, and the Dordogne River which is a tributary that joins the Gironde just above the city of Bordeaux. Wine has been made in the Entre-Deux-Mers region dating back to Roman times, but it is just recently getting worldwide attention. White wine is made all over Bordeaux and several of the recommendations I am making in this post are from other areas in Bordeaux.
Below is a link that will let you download a list of 11 white Bordeaux wines that I really enjoy and the blend of each of them. I went on wine-searcher.com and put the average price for that wine for the 2020 vintage on the list and then ranked this list from low to high in price. The price you see in your local retailer may be more or less than this, but I think it is a good guideline on where each of these wines fits on the price spectrum. The last two have average prices over $30 but can be found on sale for $30, and I really love them, so I decided to stretch the ‘under $30” designation and include them. I also put a picture of each bottle so help you find them when you are shopping.
My earlier post on where to find the wines that I recommend can be found at https://billwinetravelfood.com/2023/07/29/where-do-i-find-the-wines-that-are-being-recommended/.
Below I have a short description of each of the wines taken from different web sites. All these wines are dry and very good with food. All of them have a shelf life of about 5 years from the harvest date, e.g. you should be drinking any 2018 bottles in the next few months, and the winemaker for the last one says it will age gracefully for 15 years. You will enjoy them the most if you take them out of your refrigerator and open the bottle 45 minutes before you pour the wine into your glass, so the wine is around 48-52° F when you drink it.
Bordeaux very high on my list of wine regions of the world because they very seldom bottle a single varietal wine. For centuries they have taken different kinds of grapes from multiple small plots and carefully blended them to have the whole be greater than the sum of its parts. The Bordeaux white wines are primarily blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, some with small amounts of Muscadelle. I think the blending of at least two grapes gives these wines more depth and character than most single varietal white wines. Having the grapes come from multiple small plots also brings additional complexity as there are subtle differences that grapes from each plot of Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon will have because there are variations in the terroir for each of the plots. A few of the recommended wines have small amounts of other grapes and one of them is 100% Sauvignon Blanc.
Chateau Martinon Entre-Deux-Mers – Château Martinon has been one of our favorite white table wines for several years with its price at under $11. It is a small family-owned estate in the Entre-Deux-Mers near the village of Gornac. The estate is steeped in history that stretches back several generations, and local records show that the family’s vineyard has been active for more than a century. The wine features a blend of 60% Sémillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, and 10% Muscadelle. The dominant Sémillon furnishes the wine with a rich, rounded mouthfeel, the Sauvignon Blanc adds lift, aromatic intensity, and zesty acidity, with the Muscadelle providing just a whisper of floral notes. I like the citrusy zip and the lengthy finish which is balanced by a gentle underpinning of minerality, alluding to the region’s limestone and clay soils.
When it comes to food pairings, this Sémillon-centric white Bordeaux is incredibly versatile. Its ripe, fruity character and balanced acidity make it an excellent match for a wide range of cuisines. It pairs wonderfully with grilled, white-fleshed fish and shrimp and perfectly complements lighter meats like chicken, turkey, and vegetarian dishes. I would also pair this with the more “difficult” foods like asparagus and artichokes.
Chateau Nicot Entre-Deux-Mers – Another great buy at $11, this Chateau Nicot Blanc is situated on the right bank of the Garonne River, just south of the city of Bordeaux. It is a fresh and well-balanced white from a blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Sémillon and 10% Muscadelle, the same as the first wine. Both wines are from the Bordeaux region with an identical blend, but they are different. The great diversity of terroir in Bordeaux is the reason for this. The Nicot has tangy citrus notes, subtle herbs, and nice minerality. Delicious by itself on a hot summer night, and an outstanding match with seafood.
Chateau du Cros – Chateau du Cros occupies a strategic position on the left bank overlooking the Garonne river, upstream from Bordeaux itself. It has a long and distinguished history linking it to Richard the Lionheart and Michel de Montaigne before finally passing into the hands of the Boyer family. The Chateau itself is ruined, but the estate is thriving under the direction of Michel Boyer’s daughter Catherine d’Halluin. This is the only single varietal in my recommendations, 100% Sauvignon Blanc. It has a crisp dry flavor with aromas of straw, pear, and green apple. A bargain at $11. Note: Chateau du Cros is better known for their lush, sweet wine from Loupiac. The label for the sweet wine has the text in gold, Loupiac right under the name and a $36 price tag. It is a great dessert wine. This recommended dry wine has text in green and Bordeaux Sauvignon under the name as shown in the picture in the attachment.
Chateau Marjosse Bordeaux Blanc – This $18 wine is also from the Entre-Deux-Mers region and while not a super bargain, I think it well worth the additional $7. Several major reviewers have given this wine 90-91 points. It delivers a punchy, precise glass of wine that doesn’t swerve from the center. This has such a gorgeous crispness but also chalkiness on the palate giving some dry tannins that settle and give structure and nuance. It balances the bright, citrusy acidity of Sauvignon Blanc (44%) with the juiciness of Semillon (32%) with the addition of a few of the lesser known Bordeaux varietals -Sauvignon Gris (20%) and Muscadelle (4%) – which really up the aromatics and allows it to pair with a broader variety of foods.
Domaine Barons de Rothschild Legende Bordeaux Blanc – This is the wine that first got me interested in white Bordeaux. It has a vibrant blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Sémillon that combines notes of tropical fruit such as pineapple and passion fruit with delicate mineral notes. Aged on lees, this wine presents a nice roundness balanced by a fresh, crisp finish. At $23 it is one of four wines that takes- us up the next step to wines under $25.
Chateau Granville-Lacoste Graves – The Château Graville-Lacoste vines are five decades old and therefore have access to deep water reserves, and because their location is in one of Graves’s cooler microclimates, this blanc is incredibly consistent, year in and year out. Crisp and refreshing, with notes of citrus, cut grass, and subtle tropical fruits, it pairs as well with oysters as it does with fresh goat cheese and grilled cod, along with many more springtime culinary possibilities hopefully coming soon. The blend is 75% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, and 5% Muscadelle. The price is the same $23 and I suggest comparing tastes of this wine with the prior wine to see the difference between a Sauvignon Blanc led wine and a Semillon led wine.
Lions du Suduiraut Blanc Sec – Château Suduiraut holds a Premier Cru Classé in 1855 in the Gironde winegrowing area for their Sauterne. A rigorous selection in the vineyard and in the cellars ensures the production of Château Suduiraut’s wines, which are the accomplished expression of this exceptional terroir. In addition to their world class Sauterne, Suduiraut makes four dry white wines, two of them Grand Vin. The Lions du Suduiraut is their lowest price wine and one of my favorite Bordeaux Blanc. The label was changed in 2021 to be Lions du Suduiraut Blanc Sec as shown in the picture in the attachment. For vintages 2020 and before the blue label read Blanc Sec du Suduiraut.
To produce this wine, they selected a specific plot of Château Suduiraut vineyard, planted with Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc vines on average 20 years old. The fine gravel and sandy terroir brings out fruit aromas and a beautiful freshness to the wine. Its bright aromatic expression makes it an ideal wine to be savored in its youth. The blend is 54% Semillon and 46% Sauvignon Blanc. After fermentation is it aged for 6 months before bottling, 50% in vats and 50% in oak barrels, 20% new oak to add some additional flavors to the wine. Coming from one of the top Chateaux in Bordeaux, this is an excellent wine for $23. I have not tried their more expensive dry white wines but I suspect they are more age worthy and exciting.
Clos des Lunes “Lune d’Argent” – From a vineyard of deep gravelly soils located in Sauternes called “Clos des Lunes,” this gift-worthy white is a grand effort from famed Domaine de Chevalier in Pessac-Léognan. Lune d’Argent is the heart of Clos des Lunes’ production. They firmly believe in the future of this legendary terroir and its truly original style. With a touch of French oak, the 79% Sémillon is dense and rich, the 39% Sauvignon Blanc refined and precise. This wine is getting 92-93 points from major reviewers. It is a great buy at $25 and if you are one of the lucky people to see it at Costco for $14, I suggest you buy a case.
Clos Floridene – For years the leading consultant in Bordeaux for white wine that many of the Grand Cru Classe estates used was Denis Dubourdieu. He was called white wine’s most famous scientist. He died in 2016 but Clos Floridene was his family vineyard and his descendants continue to make this lovely white wine. We had it our first day in Bordeaux when our group of 12 had a charter boat take us on a river cruise from the city of Bordeaux up the Gironde River. Bordeaux wine consultant Michel Labardin put together a great set of wines for us to drink along with oysters, charcuterie, and other tasty snacks while he talked to us about the region and he led off with this wine. He told us all about Denis while we enjoyed it. When we got home it was the first Bordeaux wine that I went out and bought. It leaps from the glass with notes of Granny Smith apples, grapefruit and wild sage, plus aromas of wet pebbles and oyster shell. The medium-bodied palate delivers a good intensity of citrusy flavors with a crisp backbone and a steely finish. It has a classic Bordeaux blend of about 55% Sémillon, 44% Sauvignon Blanc and 1% Muscadelle. Surprisingly wine.com seems to have the lowest price for it, $23 but some on line sites have it at $32 so shop carefully.
Chateau Olivier – For years, Chateau Olivier has brought together the present and the past by making wines of great art in an estate that has six Classified Growths of Graves in red and white. Eleven different terroirs have been identified, passed down by those who once contributed to the building of the fine reputation of Bordeaux’s great growths. The winemaker describes this 2020 vintage as pale, yellow color, very expressive nose with citrus and white flower notes. It starts out with vivacity, citrus and yellow fruit aromas are present. Small notes of pastry appear as well as a certain sweetness. The finish is long and has the signature of the great white wines of Oliver with the length, the aromatic definition, and the precision of the fruit. The blend is 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Semillon. Wine Enthusiast gave this wine 95 points. The average price on this is $39 but I found a couple of places that had it for $30 so I snuck it on this list.
Virginie de Valandraud – Another wines that has people selling it for $36-45 but it can sometimes be found for $30 so I included it. Dubbed the “bad boy” of Bordeaux (a title he relishes), winemaker Jean-Luc Thunevin and his wife Murielle Andraud sunk every penny they had to purchase the Right Bank vineyards they named Château Valandraud in 1991. Now ranked as one of only 14 Premier Grand Cru Classé estates, Valandraud is considered one of the finest red wines of St.-Émilion. The Virginie de Valandraud red wine was introduced as their Second Wine in 1992 and recently earned Grand Cru Classe status, unheard of for 2nd wine. They released a white wine under that same name in 2016 and it has gotten rave reviews, generally 92-94 points. The 2020 Virginie De Valandraud Blanc has a beautiful perfume of bright citrus, lemon pith, and chalky minerality as well as a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, yet still racy and vibrant style on the palate. It’s gorgeous today, but this will evolve gracefully for 15 years. The blend is 50% Semilion, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, and 10% Sauvignon Gris, a grape not often seen.
If you are not already a White Bordeaux fan, I hope you will try some of these wines and enjoy them as much as I have. If you are already into White Bordeaux, I hope you will find a couple of new ones that you will want to add to your cellar. If you have a great White Bordeaux in this price range that you think should be on this list, I hope you will let me know about them in a Comment.
Bill's Thoughts on Wine, Travel, and Food 
Interesting post…thanks!
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