Expert’s Choice: Bordeaux dry whites under £25

The dry white wines of Bordeaux are much less famous than their red counterparts but should not be overlooked.

Increasingly, the region offers great-value alternatives to New World Sauvignon Blanc, as well as high-quality wines capable of competing with premium whites from Burgundy.

Graves remains a key region for top wines, but areas such as Fronsac, and the dry whites from sweet wine producers in Sauternes and Barsac, are also worth looking out for.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 18 dry whites under £25

Until the 1950s, Bordeaux was predominantly a white wine region before the devastating 1956 frost changed the shape of the market, with subsequent replanting of red varieties. To make matters worse, the quality of white Bordeaux in the 1970s and 1980s was generally poor, with many acidic, lacklustre, over-sulphured wines failing to excite drinkers.

Fortunately, dry white Bordeaux today is completely different thanks to winery investment and modern winemaking techniques coupled with a greater understanding of what consumers want.

The arrival of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the 1980s, with its vibrant, powerful aromas and gooseberry notes, may have ‘kickstarted’ the change in quality and direction. But Bordeaux has other tricks up its white wine sleeve – with the potential to blend varieties a key element. Semillon is Bordeaux’s most planted white grape, and when blended with Sauvignon adds extra dimensions to the palate, allied with an ability to age and handle oak maturation.

Semillon is key

Caroline Perromat, owner of Graves property Château de Cérons, says: ‘Semillon is the DNA of white Bordeaux.’ Perromat notes: ‘Sauvignon Blanc provides the initial freshness, while Semillon adds weight, richness and, with age, complexity.’ Increasingly, Sauvignon Gris appears in blends too, often adding an intriguing exotic character. Perromat describes Sauvignon Gris as a grape that ‘adds seasoning and a lingering, salty aftertaste which refreshes the palate’.

Today there is a wide choice of white Bordeaux retailing at under £25. Sauvignon Blanc is the dominant variety in the £8-£12 price bracket, showing typical cool-fermentation varietal characters – floral/hedgerow notes, bright citrus acidity and freshness. Oak is rarely used, although maturation in tank on fine lees can add a creamy texture to the palate.

At the higher price points (£16-£25), a different style of white Bordeaux can be found. Semillon (along with Sauvignon Gris) is more frequently found in complex blends which often show the effect of fermentation in oak, extended lees-ageing and barrel maturation. Many of these wines can be capable of extended ageing.

Stephen Carrier, winemaker at Château de Fieuzal, sees positive changes in recent years: ‘Wines are much more complex than they used to be.’ He believes maturation methods are a key factor. ‘The ageing process is better as, in addition to 225-litre oak barrels, winemakers are using cement tanks, stainless steel and 400-litre oak or acacia vats to improve quality.’

This selection of 18 white Bordeaux wines spans both quality and value for money, with the premium wines showing a healthy addition of terroir influence. Best to buy now before the market realises this is an undervalued category.

Andy Howard MW is a Decanter contributing editor and a DWWA Regional Chair. A former wine buyer, he now runs his own wine consultancy Vinetrades Ltd, focusing on wine education and sourcing.

See tasting notes and scores for 18 dry whites under £25

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