Think of Bordeaux and you’ll probably think of red wines for your Christmas table …. but don’t overlook white Bordeaux wines.
White Bordeaux is fantastic with seafood – so if you’re thinking of a seafood starter for your Christmas dinner (or any time of year!) then it’s not rocket science to pour one of these wines. They can be fab with turkey too.
Marc Medeville, Vice president of the Syndicat Viticole des Bordeaux et Bordeaux Supérieur says: “Most people think of red Bordeaux at Christmas, but we hope British consumers will feel inspired to try something different and give the region’s white wines a go this year with their festive menu.”
If you like sauvignon blanc, then you can’t go far wrong. There’s sémillon grapes too, and a handful of other varieties including muscadelle, colombard and ugni blanc (though they’re used much less.).
The French rarely label their bottles with grape varieties, but if you see wines from Entre Deux Mers then you’ll be bang on the money. Taken literally, it’s an area “between two seas”. It’s not two seas at all, but the Dordogne and Garonne rivers.
Here’s a handful of white Bordeaux choices
Roc St Vincent Sauvignon Blanc 2014 (£8, Sainsbury) is crisp and elegant, with grapefruit and zesty citrus flavours which tip-a-tip-tap at your tastebuds, making your mouth water.
Mouton Cadet Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (£9.99, Ocado) is sharp, grassy and citrussy, but I prefer M&S Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (£8.50) with lemons and gooseberries on the nose and to taste a vibrant cleansing freshness.
Dourthe la Grande Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc (£8.99 Waitrose) is what it says on the vin, 100% sauvignon blanc which was feminine, with peaches, a wave of flowers in a breeze, and a good balanced acidity. Really lovely.
You can find a good list of whites at Everyday Bordeaux’s www.bordeaux.com/uk The wines were tasted by a panel from the Association of Wine Educators.
Here’s two of their star dry whites; and also a white from Sainsbury which received a “thumbs-up”.
Château Martinon (The Wine Society, £7.50) mainly sémillon with sauvignon blanc, sauvignon gris and muscadelle; Le Grand Chai Réserve 2011 (£8.99, reduced from £13.99) from the International Wine Challenge Merchant of the Year, www.laithwaites.co.uk, which is a blend of sauvignon blanc and sémillon; and finally, from Sainsbury, Chateau Le Bernet Graves (£9) which is another blend of sauvignon blanc and sémillon.