Château Grand Village, Blanc, Bordeaux, 2021
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
A blend of 73% Sauvignon Blanc and 27% Semillon, the 2021 white Grand Village pops from the glass with notes of fresh grapefruit, green apples, and lime blossoms, plus hints of coriander seed, paraffin wax, and white pepper. The light to medium-bodied palate is filled with citrusy flavor, with a crisp backbone and a long chalky finish.
Touch of grass, pink grapefruit and citrus followed by a stonier steel and lemongrass character. Showing clarity and energy, this is entirely fermented and aged in barrel, around 70% new oak, and is a gorgeous wine, easily one of the 'value' wines of the vintage in Bordeaux. 2021 was the first year in the new white cellar. Harvest September 7 to 13. Single point upgrade.
The 2021 Grand Village Blanc has tightened up since I tasted in barrel, showing hints of white peach and orchard fruit with a dab of chai tea in the background. The palate is well-balanced with a keen thread of acidity. Notes of lime cordial move into a spicy finish that tingles on the tongue after the wine has exited.
Regularly one of the standout dry white wines from the Bordeaux appellation, the 2021 Blanc, a blend of 73% Sauvignon Blanc (picked on the 9th, 11th and 13th of September) and 27% Semillon (picked on the 7th of September), offers up a fresh, delicate and elegant bouquet with aromas of lemon oil, lemon, spices, lime tree leaves, menthol and perfectly ripe orchard fruits. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and racy, it's layered and seamless, its concentrated core of fruit underpinned by racy acids, concluding with a calcareous, saline finish.