Château Grand Village, Blanc, Bordeaux, 2018
The Guinaudeau’s white wines have received much praise in recent years. Their tireless pursuit of excellence and innovative approach towards clones and vinifications has resulted in some really special, atypical white Bordeaux. 2019 Grand Village Blanc is a blend of 74% Sauvignon Blanc (predominantly Sancerre clones with some older Bordeaux clones) and 26% Semillon, harvested from a two hectare plot with a little more clay in the soil than that used for red production. This has been vinified entirely in stainless steel and bottled in the first spring after harvest. The 2019 is hard to place, with many critics and tasters looking towards the Cote d’Or for references. It is extremely precise with fragrant notes of gooseberries, citrus fruits, flowers and stones. The palate has laser like precision – crystalline fruits lead towards the bright, saline, racy finish. This is fast becoming one of the most interesting white wines on our list.
critic reviews
Stone fruits, tense and nervy edges, with a saline lick through the finish, somehow seems to come from a fresher vintage than 2018. I could easily have put the big sibling Les Champs Libre in this spot, as it is one of my favourite dry whites from Bordeaux, but it is worth checking out the less expensive Grand Village. The same family attention to detail (as you would expect from the Guinaudeau family of Château Lafleur), and pretty much the perfect moment to drink. From vines on clay-limestone soils just to the northwest of Fronsac, grown at the home of Jacques and Sylvie Guinaudeau, with a significant part of the Sauvignon Blanc vines coming from Sancerre-sourced, massal-selected plants. 20% new oak.
The Grand Village 2018 Blanc is composed of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Semillon. A little youthfully mute to begin, with swirling it offers delicate scents of lime leaves, chalk dust and wet pebbles over a core of lemongrass, fresh grapefruit and green apples. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled with savory accents to the intense citrus flavors and harmonious acidity, finishing long and chalky.
The 2018 Le Blanc du Grand Village includes fruit from a massal selection taken from a parcel known as "acacia" that has gone into Les Champs Libres. The bouquet is very similar to its showing from barrel, featuring gorgeous, pure honeysuckle, walnut and light orange blossom scents. The palate is beautifully balanced, with subtle tropical notes (nectarine and passion fruit) and gooseberry commingling with a dab of ginger on the finish. Excellent.