When thinking about white wine from France, most of the time you think of Burgundy or Loire, not necessarily Bordeaux. So when I had the opportunity to try a white wine from the Pessac Leognan region of Graves in Bordeaux, which has the famous first growth Haut Brion, there was no hesitation.
It wasn’t until 1987 that Pessac Leognan even became its own appellation; before that, a wine would just be considered to be from Graves. As an appellation, it produces about 10% of all Bordeaux white wine made for the entire region. There are two main grapes used in the production of white wine in this region which are Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, and sometimes a little Muscadelle.
Chateau Carbonnieux, which is situated between such famous neighbors as Chateau Haut Bailly and Chateau Smith Haut Lafite, is one of the oldest estates in the Bordeaux region with a history dating back to the 13th century when it was founded by Benedictine monks. After World War 2, the estate was in poor condition and in 1956 was purchased by Marc Perrin who completely renovated the property. This in turn led to the estate becoming a Grand Cru Classe in the 1959 Graves Wine Classification. Now run by Eric and Philibert Perrin, Marc’s grandsons, the property is one of the largest vineyards in Pessac Leognan, with over 200 acres of land. The vineyard itself is almost evenly split between white and red grape plantings, and is one of the few places that produce equal amounts of white and red wine.
The 2012 Chateau Carbonnieux Blanc, which I had the pleasure of trying, is barrel fermented, then aged in oak for 10 months and consists of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon. Knowing this I figured it would be rich and big, however there was a good amount of structure and balance to the wine that gave it a nice crisp and clean finish. Great citrus notes that enhanced the sushi that I had with it. It’s a very enjoyable wine that will pair well with a variety of different foods. It’s priced at $44.99/bottle and is a fantastic wine to have on hand for spring and summer entertaining. 94 points WE.
“Another full-throttle 2012 dry white, this 2012 offers lots of honeysuckle notes as well as a full-bodied mouthfeel and beautiful purity, elegance and length. Lemon zest, grapefruit and subtle wood characteristics are found in both the aromatic and flavor profiles. Drink this stunning Pessac-Leognan over the next 6-10 years.” - Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate