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Château de Cérons Graves Blanc 2013

Château de Cérons Graves Blanc 2013

The color of summer goldenrod, the 2013 Château de Cérons Bordeaux Blanc is a precise blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Sémillon, and 10% Sauvignon Gris grown in mixed gravel and clay soil. Bruised pear and yellow apple are rendered more complex by crushed herbs, apple blossom, quince paste, and smoky minerality. It’s quite linear […]

Château des Fougères Graves Clos Montesquieu 2014

Château des Fougères Graves Clos Montesquieu 2014

An excellent Bordeaux value that will offer drinking pleasure over the next decade or so—this opaque beauty, the 2014 Château des Fougères Graves Clos Montesquieu, is richly perfumed with blackcurrants, blackberry jelly, cedar, juniper berry, crushed lavender, and dried mint. Grippy tannins gather at the fore-palate like storm clouds on the horizon, then dissipate, neatly […]

Château de Monbazan Grand Vin de Graves 2015

Château de Monbazan Grand Vin de Graves 2015

From Garagiste, a classic blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec—in this case from a biodynamic producer (something of a rarity in Bordeaux), the 2015 Château de Monbazan Graves Rouge is plush on the nose and palate. The first impression is one of cherry pie, followed by vanilla, baking spices, and the merest […]

Château Auney l’Hermitage Graves Blanc 2015

Château Auney l'Hermitage Graves Blanc 2015

Château Auney’s Graves Blanc 2015 is an elegant composition of 65% Semillon, 20% Muscadelle, and 15% Sauvignon Blanc harvested from small, organically farmed two-hectare parcel planted in gravel, clay and limestone soil. Barrel aging has graced it with softer tones of lemon curd, golden apple, and pear layered with a pinch of forest honey and […]

Denis Dubourdieu Clos Floridène Graves Blanc 2010

Denis Dubourdieu Clos Floridène Graves Blanc 2010

Pronounced aromas of bruised pear skin, smoke, crushed walnuts and musk melon. Silky and full on entry with moderate, well-integrated oak that gives way to a surprisingly racy, mineral finish. It’s brighter than the nose belies, and nicely balanced. Fleshier notes subside to limestone and gravel intertwining lemon pith, the finish is actually quite mouthwatering. […]

Clos des Lunes Lune d’Argent Blanc Sec 2012

Clos des Lunes Lune d'Argent Blanc Sec 2012

A classic blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon, the 2012 Clos des Lunes Lune d’Argent Blanc Sec from Domaine de Chevalier is quite a steal at less than $20 per bottle. Fragrant floral notes are rounded out by rich aromas of shortbread cookie, pear, honeydew melon and a hint of freshly mown grass. Full-bodied […]

Château Branon 2000

Château Branon 2000

The 2000 Branon is a study in power and opulence, the first vintage of this sumptuous Pessac-Leognan to be released, it is perhaps worth noting that the winemaking is overseen by Alain Raynaud and Michel Rolland. An opaque and inky countenance, with rich aromas of plum, fig pudding, tobacco, and asphalt. Surprisingly, there is an […]

Château Haut-Brion 1999

Château Haut-Brion 1999

What can be said about this monumental first growth? Tasted over 90 minutes, it evolved slowly with cascading notes of black currant, blueberry, perfumy violets and forest floor. Fresh and pure on the palate, with silky tannins, superb balance and a lengthy, seductive finish interlaced with subtle minerality and flavors of cedar and spice. A […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com