Top scoring 2018 Bordeaux dry whites: Re-tasted in the bottle
Jane Anson tasted more than 40 recently-bottled dry white wines from the Bordeaux 2018 vintage finding plenty to recommend and a few new labels worth looking out for.
See the full Bordeaux 2018 report here
See individual appellation overviews for:
St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St-Julien, Margaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac, Moulis and Pessac-Léognan & Graves
In addition to the hundreds of recently-bottled Bordeaux wines Jane Anson usually tastes for her in bottle report, this one included the full line up of dry whites from both Médoc classifications.
Those of particular interest included the first vintage of Brane Cantenac’s new white as well as the new dry white from Château Climens, Asphodèle.
Of this wine, Anson wrote: ‘It’s a 100% Sémillon, as with the main wine, and also biodynamic, made in collaboration with Loire legend Pascal Jolivet (he worked just on this first vintage with them, making it a reason in itself to track down a bottle).’
See the tasting notes and scores for all re-tasted Bordeaux 2018 white wines including dry and sweet styles
Having previously tasted the wines en primeur Anson kept her rating for the dry whites the same at 3.5/5 for the vintage.
Of the white wines from Pessac-Léognan and Graves, Anson said they have ‘lower acidity than in vintages like 2017 or 2016, but plenty of sappy acidities all the same, and seductive stone fruit flavours as most whites were safely in the cellars before the drought intensified over September’.
In Sauternes, Anson said: ‘the dry whites saw some of their earliest harvesting in their history (August 13 at Yquem), and again it was a great addition to the tastings this year to taste the dry whites of the classified estates’.
The highest scoring dry white wines are listed below. Many are all drinking well now or will reach the start of their drinking window within the next 12 months, and all should continue to shine for many years to come.
See Jane Anson’s top-scoring 2018 white wines
You might also like:
Full report on Bordeaux 2018 in the bottle
Top Bordeaux 2018 Left Bank wines in the bottle
Top Bordeaux 2018 Right Bank wines report
Château Margaux, Pavillon Blanc, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2018
A tangy and bright expression with immediately apparent racy acidity. This is vibrant and long with a gorgeous lemon, chamomile, gooseberry and pear aspect as...
2018
Château MargauxBordeaux Blanc
Château Haut-Brion, Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2018
Clear Sauvignon Blanc character, rounded and deepened by smoked oak notes, with white pear flesh and hints of pineapple. There is uplift through the finish...
2018
Château Haut-BrionPessac-Léognan
Château d'Yquem, Y d'Yquem, Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2018
For the third time in its history, this was entirely harvested in August (mainly 23 to 28, but the first berries were picked on August...
2018
Château d'YquemBordeaux
Château Mouton Rothschild, Aile d'Argent, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2018
Clear exotic fruit notes with powerful nectarine and white peach, as is often the case with Aile d'Argent. Rich in texture, with lots of depth...
2018
Château Mouton RothschildBordeaux Blanc
Château Cos d'Estournel, Blanc de Cos d'Estournel, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2018
This is rich and textured, and a brilliant white wine, juicy and powerful, with tension, minerality and grip through the finish. Excellent and, for me,...
2018
Château Cos d'EstournelBordeaux Blanc
Château Lynch-Bages, Blanc de Lynch-Bages, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2018
A balanced, juicy, slate-filled mineral edge here, with a crisp shot of mint. Has a lovely balance of rich texture and acidity, with lime blossom...
2018
Château Lynch-BagesBordeaux Blanc
Château Coutet, Opalie, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2018
A rich, round feel, appealing density through the palate, with layers of apricot, nectarine, saffron and a touch of noble bitterness on the finish. Great...
2018
Château CoutetBordeaux Blanc
Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2018
A serious wine that is just beginning to show its white flower and honeysuckle notes. A vintage that shows its warmth in a slightly lower...
2018
Château La Mission Haut-BrionPessac-Léognan
Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2018
There is plenty of white pear and white peach going on here along with a creaminess through the palate. As it opens it begins to...
2018
Château Smith Haut LafittePessac-Léognan
Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2018
This clearly has focus and stone-fruit steely determination. Clear opulence and density if not quite the grip of this wine in the very best white...
2018
Domaine de ChevalierPessac-Léognan
Château Couhins-Lurton, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2018
This is excellent - cut through and spliced in terms of its acidity with some white pepper notes, citrus zest and lemon. Power and minerality...
2018
Château Couhins-LurtonPessac-Léognan
Château Climens, Asphodele, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2018
Clear sense of enjoyment, with lime blossom, citrus, kiwi and some sweet fruit without sacrificing the sense of lift. Promising start for the new dry...
2018
Château ClimensBordeaux Blanc
Château Suduiraut, Le Blanc Sec de Suduiraut, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2018
Lovely uplift, minerality and juice. Excellent sense of dancing across the palate. Hard to quibble with the fresh citrus and lime, if straying just a...
2018
Château SuduirautBordeaux Blanc
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2018
Concentrated, silky texture. This has impact and is an enjoyable white wine with depth and grip. Clear citrus, fleshy white pear, touches of stone fruits...
2018
Château Lafaurie-PeyragueyBordeaux Blanc
Château Olivier, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2018
Some welcome freshness and grip here. A little soft still through the finish but with a definite touch of citrus peel and white pear flesh,...
2018
Château OlivierPessac-Léognan
Château Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2018
I like the grip here. A little subdued but there is citrus zest and lime juice along with stone-fruit character, and good texture of pear...
2018
Château Malartic-LagravièrePessac-Léognan
