You couldn’t hope to find Sauvignon of this quality for the price in any of the Loire’s more famous regions, like Sancerre or Pouilly. Blended from the year’s tastiest vats, this wine is as subtle and complex as it is refreshing and zingy. It’s made exclusively for us by our trusted friend Franck Chatelain at Noël Bougrier’s renowned cellar in the Touraine. The original Abbesse was one Louise de Bourbon of the nearby Abbaye de Fontevraud and a major figure in Loire history. This delicious expression of the region’s reigning grape, Sauvignon Blanc, is a fitting tribute to her. With its appealing, crisp, lemony fruit and zippy freshness, it’s delicious on its own any time and goes ever so well with goat’s cheese and lighter fish dishes.
Bordeaux's Côtes de Bourg and Blaye are renowned for classy reds. But our Trophy-winning winemaker Jean-Marc Sauboua has never been impressed by rules, so here's he's championing the regions' white grapes. Zesty fresh and lemony.
Winemaker Jean-Marc Sauboua has made wine all over the world. He's won loads of prizes too. But Bordeaux was where he was born and raised and where he's searched out the grapes for this snappy fresh white. He's worked with an award-winning ecological cellar on Bordeaux's Right Bank, Les Vignerons de Tutiac in the Côtes de Bordeaux. This is where you'll find some excellent clarets, but Jean-Marc was out to prove that white grapes could perform just as well. It's pure Sauvignon Blanc, taken from a variety of vineyards in both Côtes de Bourg and Blaye, each parcel contributing a different character to the wine. Bright, lemony and intense, it's an elegant white, as you'd expect from Bordeaux. Chill and serve with panfried white fish or solo.
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Michel Chapoutier is renowned for his brilliant Rhône wines, but this region alone couldn’t contain his brilliance. Since he took over the family estate in 1990, he has also acquired sites in Languedoc, Roussillon, Provence, Alsace – and far afield in Oregon, Australia’s Heathcote and Portugal. Domaine de Bila-Haut is his prize in the Roussillon’s Latour de France. Its rugged slopes include gneiss, schist, chalk and limestone, lending richness, depth, power and finesse.
This white is made from Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Maccabeu, with a little this vintage of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne for a more aromatic style. Pure, unoaked and full of white peach fruit, it’s great with trout or chicken, but also a delicious glass solo.
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Southern Burgundy’s Mâconnais has long been known for being a hotspot for good value but in the last decade its winemakers have proved that this goes hand in hand with remarkable quality too. They may not be able to put ‘Grand Cru’ on the label, but some of the bottles certainly warrant it. The Greuzards have been crafting superb wines at their Greffière estate for four generations now.
In fact there is evidence the property was making wine from 1585. Their top vineyard – La Roche Vineuse – is 12 hectares with vines 30 to 50-years-old. No wonder the fruit is so deliciously concentrated and long. Slow fermentation with lees stirring results in this rich complex style. Serve lightly chilled with white meats, risotto or a creamy fish dish.
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So we were delighted when we finally secured access to some nearby white vineyards with incredible fruit that has allowed us to create the prestigious La Clarière Blanc. This dazzling white Bordeaux combines bright, character-filled Sauvignon Blanc and richer, creamier Sauvignon Gris to create an extraordinarily sensuous wine. It has enjoyed all the same lavish, no-expense-spared treatment in the winery usually accorded to the red, and the result is a citrussy, complex, textured wine that is absolutely irresistible. Oak fermented, lees stirred, and then aged in partnew oak barrels, the richness and complexity is reminiscent of the grand wines of Pessac Léognan. Smooth, rich, long and lavish … it's simply magnificent – a very worthy partner to the red. It's a truly fine dining partner that really shines when served with luxury cuisine.
Tony Laithwaite has long wanted to make an estate white at La Clarière, but traditionally Castillon is all about reds. Now he's crafted this oak fermented white. Long, complex and citrusy, it's won four Golds.
Delicious depth and richness with real freshness give this Bordeaux white perfect balance.
It’s a collaboration between our award-winning winemaker Jean-Marc Sauboua and owner of Château Le Coin Ludovic Roussillon.
The key ingredient is Sauvignon – Gris that is, not Blanc – which combines spicy richness and lime freshness. All the grapes are tended at Ludovic’s superb estate in the Entre-Deux-Mers, just over the river from Le Chai au Quai, our winemaking HQ in Castillon.
His claret is always a hit and nine years ago we persuaded him to make us a white too.
The limestone soils help to produce lovely fruit intensity, while old-vine grapes and a tiny portion of oak fermentation lends even more richness. Great solo or with a creamy gratin.
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