White Graves: panel tasting results

Andy Howard MW, Tom Parker MW and Tim Triptree MW tasted 82 wines with three Outstanding and 35 Highly Recommended

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their Graves AP and Pessac-Léognan dry whites, up to two vintages each, one recent and one mature (including grand cru and cru classé de Graves)

White Graves panel tasting scores

82 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 3

Highly recommended 35

Recommended 40

Commended 4

Fair 0

Poor 0

Faulty 0

This was an illuminating tasting, providing an insight into some of the Graves region’s recent vintages while also providing an opportunity to taste older vintages and see how the wines have developed.

The panel were left with more questions than answers but, in the right hands, it’s clear that the best white Graves wines can be a match quality wise for some of the better-known Burgundy Côte d’Or appellations, and often at considerably keener prices.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring white Graves wines

The panel tasted dry white wines from Graves and Pessac-Léognan.

Both APs lie to the south and southwest of Bordeaux, with the northern parts of Pessac-Léognan close to the city, and the greater Graves area extending south as far as the sweet-wine dominated appellations of Cérons, Barsac and Sauternes.

Soils are far from homogenous across the dry white Bordeaux vineyards, with those of Graves usually a mix of gravel, sand, clay and limestone; Pessac-Léognan is dominated by gravel soils, ranging in thickness from a few inches to several metres.

White Bordeaux wines are usually a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, some using small amounts of Muscadelle and Sauvignon Gris – the latter adding an extra layer of exotic flavour to the blend.

Oak is frequently used for fermentation and maturation in premium wines destined for long ageing, imparting to the wines a richness and powerful personality together with pronounced floral notes and zesty citrus flavours. As seen in this tasting, the best white Bordeaux are capable of keeping extremely well.

The appellation of Pessac-Léognan (granted in 1987) is home to most top estates, with Châteaux Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion situated close to Pessac (together with Pape-Clément and Laville Haut-Brion) on the outskirts of the city.

See all the wines from the white Graves panel tasting

Further south, around Léognan, other leading names include Châteaux Bouscaut, Carbonnieux, de Fieuzal, Larrivet Haut-Brion, Smith Haut Lafitte and Domaine de Chevalier – the latter being one of the few Pessac/Graves properties where the white wine is more famous than the red.

Of the 82 wines tasted, Graves wines scored an average of 88 points with Pessac-Léognan averaging 91 – clearly demonstrating a quality advantage for this appellation.

What surprised the panel was the variability displayed, particularly evident with some of the younger vintages.

As expected, the cooler vintage of 2017 outperformed 2018, 2019 and 2020. Tim Triptree MW noted: ‘Vintage is significant, as warmer years appeared to be less successful in the tasting,’ while Tom Parker MW felt that the ‘hot vintages did feel blowsy, tropical and at times less capable of ageing’.

The panel was surprised by the variation in style, with Parker commenting: ‘Even within the same vintage there were linear/Loire-type wines as well as Rhône-like styles.’

Triptree felt that Sauvignon Blanc seemed to help maintain acidity and freshness, and both were impressed by some of the older, 2006 wines which showed how well white Bordeaux can age when well made.

Two 2006 wines from the Lurton stable (La Louvière and Couhins-Lurton) had been bottled under screwcap, with Triptree noting ‘excellent wines which remained remarkably fresh and vibrant despite their age’.

Domaine de Chevalier also lived up to its renown, Parker summarising the high quality of 2006 and potential for 2017: ‘The younger vintage was reticent and subtle. Domaine de Chevalier showed itself to be one of the white Bordeaux most worthy of patience in the cellar, rather than opening young.’

Top-scoring wines from the white Graves tasting

Wines listed scored 90 points or above.

The judges

Andy Howard MW is a contributing editor to Decanter and a DWWA Regional Chair. Formerly a wine buyer in the UK retail sector for 30 years, he now runs his own wine consultancy Vinetrades Ltd, focusing on wine education, investment and sourcing.

Tom Parker MW has been a wine buyer for merchant Farr Vintners since 2011, with a particular focus on Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône. A Master of Wine since 2018, he writes when time permits, contributing to a number of publications including jancisrobinson.com.

Tim Triptree MW is the international director of wine and spirits at Christie’s, responsible for the planning and execution of Christie’s wine and spirits auctions internationally. A Master of Wine since 2018, at DWWA 2021 he judged on the Bordeaux and Rhône panels.

You may also like

Graves and Pessac-Léognan white wines 2015 in bottle

Looking to Bordeaux’s great dry whites: 16 top wines from the 2015 vintage

Best Pessac-Léognan and Graves 2018 wines