2 May 2014
Tasting articles

Bordeaux 2013 – dry whites

Tasting articles
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For a list of all our articles, see Bordeaux 2013 – a guide to our coverage.

Dry white Bordeaux was generally more successful than red in 2013, it seems to me. The lightness that plagued so many Cabernet Sauvignons is far less fatal for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, and nor is there the challenge of having to balance tricky tannins.

Having said that, some of the big names performed rather modestly, and there are no very high scores. Despite depleted volumes, there is no compelling argument to buy these en primeur.

The tasting notes are listed in alphabetical order.

Ch Bouscaut 2013 Pessac-Léognan

Very potent nose: reductive flinty notes plus some toasted-cereal character. Grassy, herbal, citric and smoky. Really bold and confident. Lots of length too. The charisma of the nose could be divisive, but I like it very much. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2022
17.5

Ch Brown 2013 Pessac-Léognan

60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Sémillon. Attractive herbal character merging with soft oak and lots of vivid lemon fruit. Lovely sweet fruit, but certainly dry to finish. Well made, enjoyable and quite viscous on the length. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2017
16.5

Ch Carbonnieux 2013 Pessac-Léognan

Very attractive wax and vanilla flavours – a real classic white bordeaux nose. Lots to enjoy here – sweet citrus fruit, bright acid and plenty of herbal character too. Long finish with an attractive chewy texture. No shortcomings of the vintage discernible here! (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2020
17.5

Ch de Chantegrive 2013 Graves

Potent, slightly cat-pee-scented aroma and some cereal character too. Juicy, light, very charming and very much ready to drink too. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2018
16.5

Clos Floridène 2013 Graves

Restrained nose but nice creamy texture. Pretty brief, but the flavours are well formed. Slightly chalky texture. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2017
15.5

Ch Cos d'Estournel 2013 Bordeaux

76% Sauvignon Blanc, 24% Sémillon. Only 7% new oak. Sweaty and herbal, but somehow charming! Flinty and smoky too, and with a lovely soft texture on the palate. Great length and concentration with a perky lemongrass bitterness on the finish. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2025
17

Ch Ferrande 2013 Graves

Grapefruit, white flowers, white currant. Slight grassiness. Quite simple and short on the palate, though the purity of the flavours is very good. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2018
16.5

Ch de Fieuzal 2013 Pessac-Léognan

Lots of dairy character on the nose, but the citrus fruit dominates on the palate. Lovely dried-hay character on the finish. Floral and lifted. Medium length, great balance. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2019
17

Ch de France 2013 Pessac-Léognan

Weirdly, there’s something mildly oxidative about this sample. Or is that a bit of skin contact? It almost evokes something from Jura than Bordeaux. Bitter finish as well. Not at all bad, just incongruous. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2018
16

Ch Grand Village 2013 Bordeaux

54% Semillon, 46% Sauvignon Blanc. Very reductive, almost acrid on the nose. Loads of citrus and metallic notes. Quite interesting – though has a very distinctive personality that could be overwhelming. Stylised and pronounced. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2018
16

Ch Haut-Bergey 2013 Pessac-Léognan

Slightly reductive character which is a bit like cabbage. Light texture, slight vanilla note from oak. A bit bony. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2018
15.5

Ch Haut-Brion, La Clarté de Haut-Brion 2013 Pessac-Léognan

61% Sémillon, 39% Sauvignon Blanc. Stunning nose – wax, lemon, vanilla and fresh herbs. Charming texture, and a lightness of body that fits into the balance well. Modest length, but good concentration and potential for development. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2020
17 +

Ch Haut-Brion 2013 Pessac-Léognan

66% Sauvignon Blanc, 34% Sémillon. Rather suppressed nose, but lots of charming apple, citrus and waxiness on the palate. Long and concentrated on the mid palate – has a really convincing intensity while being very formative at this stage. (RH)
Drink
2017
–
2023
17.5

Ch Lafleur, Les Champs Libres 2013 Bordeaux

100% Sauvignon Blanc. First vintage. Strongly reductive on the nose. Charming oak on the palate, that really adds complexity and volume to the palate. Gets the best out of Sauvignon Blanc – and the oak is really complementary to the grapefruit and lime fruit. Bears a strong resemblance to great oaked cuvées form the Loire – and indeed, they use clones from Sancerre. Very interesting, very sophisticated. (RH)
Drink
2016
–
2023
17.5 +

Ch Lespault-Martillac 2013 Pessac-Léognan

Slightly acrid nose, which gives it some spark and intrigue. Flinty, smoky, tropical citrus. Combines razor-edged acidity with plump fruit very successfully. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2018
16.5 +

Ch La Louvière 2013 Pessac-Léognan

Ripe fruit plus a bit of sweetcorn character. Really vibrant and expressive, though a little light on the palate. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2018
16

Ch Malartic Lagravière 2013 Pessac-Léognan

Ripe citrus, vanilla essence and light hickory smoke. More substance than you’d expect on the palate. Lovely grapefruit and pineapple-juice flavour – almost a bit sweet. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2020
17

Ch Margaux, Pavillon Blanc 2013 Bordeaux

100% Sauvignon Blanc. Herbal, lime, apple and honeyed character. Lovely texture, and much more length and body than the red equivalent. Real core concentration. Creamy, rounded, pure. (RH)

Drink
2015
–
2020
17

Ch La Mission Haut-Brion 2013 Pessac-Léognan

76% Sémillon, 24% Sauvignon Blanc. Toasty, gentle lemon fruit. Light creamy texture, and quite a pithy, almost chewy finish. Very delicate, but the flavours are fully formed. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2018
16.5

Ch Monbousquet 2013 Bordeaux

Sweaty, grassy, and a little bit waxy. Pleasant, refreshing and light with plenty of fresh easygoing fruit. Shortish finish. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2016
16

Ch Mouton Rothschild, Aile d'Argent 2013 Bordeaux

67% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Sémillon. Sweaty, grassy, bright. Lovely sweetness to the fruit, very charming and sophisticated. Light waxy feel and good persistence. A bit of leafy bitterness to finish. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2020
16.5

Ch Olivier 2013 Pessac-Léognan

Lemon and lime juice, fresh and pleasant though it only goes so far. Easy drinking, inoffensive. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2018
15.5

Ch Pape Clément 2013 Pessac-Léognan

Toasty, smoky nose plus a smooth, creamy texture. Just a little lacking in fruit on the mid palate. Pleasant, light and easy-drinking style. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2017
15.5

Ch Picque Caillou 2013 Pessac-Léognan

Plenty of oak on the nose, giving a sweet creamy spice. Brisk, pert citrus on the palate. Powerful and juicy. Good length. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2022
17 +

Ch Rahoul 2013 Graves

Some flinty reductive hints on the nose. Creamy, rich palate – lemon curd, vanilla, toast. Great persistence and concentration. Super! With its rich flavour spectrum, this has all the makings of a long-lived Graves. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2023
17.5

Ch Smith Haut Lafitte 2013 Pessac-Léognan

Creamy, succulent white fruit, lovely depth and concentration. Pithy, orange-peel character. Waxy mouthfeel – really attractive texture. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2020
17 +

Ch Suduiraut, S de Suduiraut 2013 Bordeaux

63% Sauvignon Blanc, 37% Sémillon. 20% new oak. Really bright, crisp, green citrus, grapefruit and honeyed notes, flinty and waxy. Starts strongly, but finishes a little light. Chewy texture. (RH) 12.9%
Drink
2014
–
2018
17

Ch Teyssier, Le Nardian 2013 Bordeaux

40% Sémillon, 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Muscadelle. Lovely citric aroma, but pretty restrained on the palate. Some bitter leafiness. Pretty simple, though nicely balanced. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2018
15.5