Ch La Peyruche Bordeaux Blanc 20

Château La Peyruche is located on the rolling hillsides of Langoiran, a municipality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux's Garonne River. The château housing the winery was built in the late 14th century and has been continuously renovated since the mid-1800s.

The winery features state-of-the-art equipment; however, to the casual observer, outside of the winery, it feels like a step back into the 1800s. The estate has a long history of polyculture, including vines, vegetable crops, fruit trees, and even cattle breeding. This rich biodiversity and the property's squeaky-clean farming methodology recently led to HVE (High Environmental Value) recognition -- paving the way for the La Peyruche wines to be officially BIO certified in 2021.

For the last ten or fifteen years, the prevalent style of White Bordeaux has leaned heavily towards crisp and fresh, with Sauvignon Blanc dominating the blend. That's great; however, many of us also love the old-school style of White Bordeaux -- rich and round with the blend driven by Semillion and oak influence.

For me, La Peyruche has done an excellent job of finding the middle ground between the two styles. The blend skews mainly towards Sauvignon Blanc, with only 10 percent Semillion added. Here's where it gets interesting -- a portion of the wine is fermented and aged in oak. This judicious amount of oak influence adds supple roundness and richness while maintaining lift and freshness, making this a terrific stand-in for the significantly more expensive whites from the Graves AOC.

La Peyruche winemaker David Sarry very aptly describes this elegant White Bordeaux with this tasting note:
The grapes are harvested at maturity and then pressed. The resulting juice is then settled and fermented at low temperature. This cuvée is partially vinified in barrels and aged on lees. At first nose, fruits dominate: yellow peach and apricot in particular. Then, little by little, this wine reveals all its complexity with floral notes (lime blossom) and a slightly toasted touch. On the palate, the attack is lively, but the tasting ends in roundness.

I love how this wine develops complexity over time in the glass. For a real treat, taste, and then let it warm in the glass for five or ten minutes. You'll note that the acidity has rounded down and the subtle toasty nuance blend beautifully. Pair with poultry, white meats, and more decadent seafood dishes.