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.
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
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
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
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
Smoky, bright citric character. Just a little dilute mid palate, and the finish tails off suddenly. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2018
Restrained nose but nice creamy texture. Pretty brief, but the flavours are well formed. Slightly chalky texture. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2017
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
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
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
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
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
Slightly reductive character which is a bit like cabbage. Light texture, slight vanilla note from oak. A bit bony. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2018
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
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
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
Juicy, rich fruit with quite a bit of stone fruit, unusually for the style. Dry, pithy and crisp on the finish. Opulent. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2019
Dry, herbal, crisp but a bit simple. Slight bitterness on the finish doesn’t help. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2018
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
Ripe fruit plus a bit of sweetcorn character. Really vibrant and expressive, though a little light on the palate. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2018
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
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
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
Sweaty, grassy, and a little bit waxy. Pleasant, refreshing and light with plenty of fresh easygoing fruit. Shortish finish. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2016
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
Lemon and lime juice, fresh and pleasant though it only goes so far. Easy drinking, inoffensive. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2018
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
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
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
Sauvignon Blanc, says the label. So does the nose: it’s very citric and grassy. Nice pithy texture, good concentration. (RH)
Drink
2014
–
2016
Creamy, succulent white fruit, lovely depth and concentration. Pithy, orange-peel character. Waxy mouthfeel – really attractive texture. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2020
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
Vegetal notes, and ripe oak sweetness too. Not sure how well that combinations sits on the palate. Seems to be lacking acid too, slightly. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2017
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
Grassy, crisp – but dilute on the palate. Nice fresh, herbal lift, but it doesn’t go anywhere. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2018
Bright citrus fruit, a bit of oak spicing, but pretty simple on the palate. Phenolic and pithy on the finish. (RH)
Drink
2015
–
2016
