Drawing a Blanc

Two weekends ago, when I was in South Haven for Ladies Weekend with assorted aunts and female cousins, my cousin Julie - who was my wine tasting partner-in-crime in Ann Arbor and used to take me to her amazing Wednesday night tasting group - pulled out a bottle of white Bordeaux.

White Bordeaux is not something I probably would have thought to purchase unless I tasted it first. There are a couple reasons for this: 1) I have only just recently began to be comfortable enough to navigate the French waters without the help of The Earle's Stevie G.; and 2) white Bordeaux has not enjoyed the best reputation over the past years - at least, not the drier varieties.

However, white Bordeaux seems to be enjoying a renaissance. Nice, dry white Bordeaux can be found for under $20 a bottle.

Julie's 2006 Chateau Guiraud Bordeaux Blanc - which retails for about $16 a bottle - was one of these. Comprised of Sauvignon blanc and sémillon grapes, it packed a punch from the start. Smelling it was like sticking my nose into an herb garden. Tasting it was even better.

No sooner did I return from South Haven singing the praises of Chateau Guiraud than our local wine store Thames River Wine and Spirits put a similarly priced white Bordeaux on the tasting menu for a recent Friday night. The Chateau La Rame Bordeaux Blanc 2007 proved to be a dry Sauvignon blanc with some nice, crisp citrusy notes. It was not as heavy or intriguingly spiced as the Guiraud, but I definitely enjoyed it.

So, here I am, still trying to track down the Guiraud, enjoying my recently purchased Chateau La Rame, when the New York Times publishes this article: White Bordeaux: Oft-Forgotten Bliss

The article talks about the recent improvements in dry Bordeaux blancs and encourages wine drinkers to seek them out as a more affordable alternative to white Burgundy. I say give it a try! Ask your local wine store what they would recommend or see if you can find either of the wines mentioned in this blog - both retail around $16/$17 per bottle. Let me know what you think!