The wine world is trending white. Cash in on the shift with this sub-$20 Bordeaux blanc
Bordeaux is best known for its red wines, but as wine drinkers move toward chillable whites and bubbles, the region is investing in more green-skinned grapes.
The wine world is trending toward brightness these days, as fewer people drink heavier reds and more are seeking the refreshment found in wines they can serve chilled: whites, rosés, and sparkling wines. Regions like Bordeaux in France that are known for making mostly red wines are seeing growth shift to lighter white wines like this one, as are entire red-centric countries like Italy and Spain.
Sauvignon blanc is a grapevine that is native to the Loire Valley of northern France, but there is far more acreage planted in the larger Bordeaux region to the south. The original Loire style is exemplified in austere and flinty wines like Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, where sauvignon blanc is the only grape used and new oak never plays a noticeable role. Bordeaux’s warmer climate results in a different approach.
Vintners in appellations like Entre-deux-Mers and Graves often grow small amounts of other green-skinned grapes — most often semillon or muscadelle — and blend that fruit into their sauvignon blanc to add texture and aromatic complexity. In high-end wines, it’s also common to ferment and age the wine in oak barrels, imparting a nutty flavor and creaminess of texture, but it’s rare to encounter these traits in Bordeaux blanc that is priced under $30 nowadays.
This wine is from a value-oriented line made by the most famous of Bordeaux families and makes a perfect example of how the current fashion for refreshment in white wine can be well executed at very fair prices. Here, the blend is roughly 90% sauvignon blanc, with a small amount of semillon adding texture and fragrance. The wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel only, maximizing its fruity flavors of tropical passion fruit and scents of white lilies. The grapes are picked quite early to preserve snappy acidity and suppress excess alcohol, with the final wine clocking in at only 12% — so remarkably low that it’s easy to justify your second glass.
Les Légendes R Bordeaux Blanc
Bordeaux, France; 12% ABV
PLCB Item #96277, on sale through Nov. 30 for $15.69 (regularly $17.69)
Also available at: Moorestown Super Buy Rite in Moorestown (12.49; moorestownbuyrite.com), WineWorks in Marlton ($15.98; wineworksonline.com)