2022 Futures
-
The star of Graves blancs, offering each vintage a very pure and straightforward wine, discreetly woody. It is not surprising to see this regularity in performance, as it is the own property of Florence & Denis Dubourdieu, hence the name of the wine.
Quarin : 93/100 « Superbe toucher dès l'entrée en bouche, avec beaucoup d'éclat dans la saveur, soyeux, le vin retrouve ses nuances aromatiques minutieuses en finale. Il grandit encore dans les derniers instants et s'achève persistant, délicieux, profond et noble, sur des notes de citron amalfitain. Une merveille ! »
Galloni : 90-92/100 « The 2022 Clos Floridène Blanc is shaping up to be a real beauty. This is beautifully done. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Family property of the Dubourdieu family. Always very bouquety and expressive, round with buttered notes, perfect to accompany a cheese platter.
Quarin : 90/100 « Frais et subtil, le vin se développe aérien, sur un corps fondant. L'éclat du goût conduit toute la dégustation vers une belle longueur séveuse et parfumée. Un des vins blancs secs au profil gustatif le plus typé de Bordeaux. »
Galloni : 90-92/100 « The 2022 Blanc Sec (100% Sauvignon Blanc) is airy, gracious and light on its feet. The first impression is all about delicacy. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Second wine from Château Valandraud.
Galloni : 90-93/100 « Bright and sculpted, the Virginie Blanc has a bit more mid-palate intensity than in most years. It's a style that works quite well. »
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
The dry white wine of Lagrange, in a precise and pleasant style. As always in Lagrange, the quality/price ratio is there!
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
A family property reawakened in 2011 by the arrival of the son Paul Garcin, a former rock musician on the Bordeaux scene. Instant passage in organic and biodynamic culture, wines of artist, intuitive, immediately sapid, tasty and with the strong note pleasure. This approach was praised by the Revue du Vin de France's 2023 guide, which awarded Haut-Bergey its first star: "Modernity of vision and the ability to reinvent itself without betraying its identity: Haut-Bergey symbolizes the current vitality of the most historic of Bordeaux's vineyards".
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
This classified growth, owned by INRA, has grown considerably since the Institute's researchers decided to apply the results of their most advanced research to it, and the arrival of Mr Derenoncourt as an advisor. In a rather lively and tense style, Couhins is today by its price the best deal among the white classified growths of Pessac-Léognan.
Quarin : 92/100 « Nez très inattendu, qui rompt avec de nombreux millésimes sentant le citron. Ici, l'expression est très fruitée, subtile et plus florale. Délicat en entrée de bouche, le vin se développe aromatique, floral et gras, vers une finale savoureuse, aux nuances d'agrumes bien mûrs, sans manquer de tension. C'est très bon. »
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
The white wine of Latour-Martillac, aromatic, of beautiful straightness and excellent keeping, is one of the most regular and interesting of the appellation, which moreover holds up formidably well to aging (10 years and more).
Promoted to two stars in the Revue du Vin de France's 2023 guide for the whole of his work, in red as in white!
Revue du Vin de France : 93-95/100 « Réservé mais subtil, nuancé, ce blanc d'étoffe se met tranquillement en place, manifestant déjà une très belle tenue et une grande cohérence. »
Quarin : 92/100 « Couleur pâle, aux reflets verts. Nez intense, fruité et légèrement anisé. Moelleux en entrée de bouche, légèrement mentholé au milieu, le vin évolue gras et savoureux, sans perdre d'énergie, vers une longue finale. C'est très bon. »
Galloni : 85-87/100 « The 2022 Latour-Martillac Blanc has plenty of energy, but not much in the way of mid-palate or finish. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
- Potential alcohol:
- 13.5%
-
Very pale, crystalline colour, aromatic notes of lemon and grapefruit, lively and delicate on the palate, Carbonnieux is by its refined style the most Medoc style of Pessac-Léognan whites.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Based on Sauvignon (with a hint of Semillon), Caillou Blanc has been presented for 50 years as the archetype of Médoc dry white wine: pale colour, between delicate freshness and aromatic distinction (citrus fruits, bitter orange, honeysuckle), never too full or demonstrative. And always reasonably positioned in terms of price.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
The second white wine of Pape-Clement, frank, direct, built on a greedy fruit.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Known to produce Léognan's most voluminous and expressive white wine, Larrivet Haut-Brion has gained in freshness, precision and aromatic complexity since the arrival of Mr Lemoine (cellar master from Montrose), advised by Mr Derenoncourt, and vinifications in ovoid vats.
Quarin : 94/100 « Nez intense, au fruité mûr. Touche de sauvignon et de fruits exotiques. Ample à l'attaque, opulent en milieu de bouche, le vin glisse, fondant, suave et noble, avec beaucoup de goût, sur une longue finale complexe et incrachable. »
Galloni : 92-94/100 « The 2022 Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc is a wild, exotic wine. The Blanc is exuberant and effusive, a bit out of control, but in a good way. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
- Potential alcohol:
- 14%
-
Full-bodied, fat and with a characteristic vanilla woody taste, the dry white wine of Lynch-Bages plays the charm and fabric card. Less than 2000 cases produced each year, far insufficient for global success.
Quarin : 92/100 « Nez intense, fruité, à la fois suave et sauvignonné. Touche d'ortie, mais aussi de fruits rouges (fraise des bois). Etonnant. Délicat en entrée de bouche, très aromatique au milieu, le vin se développe sur un corps caressant, un profil nerveux, et à la fois bien mûr. Nuances éclatantes de muscadelle en finale. Pointe de menthe. C'est incrachable ! »
Galloni : 92/100 « The 2022 Blanc de Lynch-Bages is bright and nicely focused, with tons of Sauvignon Blanc aromas and flavors driving the blend. Its freshness is notable. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
With near-maniacal intransigence at every stage of its development, the Bonnie family delights us with each vintage with its white wine, very Sauvignon (85% in 2016 and 90% in 2018) combining energy, supreme finesse and exemplary straightness.
Quarin : 94/100 « Délicat en entrée de bouche, très minutieux au toucher, avec un corps fondant, le vin évolue séveux et suave en même temps, sur une longue finale caressante. C'est très bon. »
Galloni : 91-93/100 « The 2022 Malartic-Lagravière Blanc screams out of the glass with tons of Sauvignon Blanc character. Crisp and vibrant, with notable tension, the 2022 is wonderfully expressive. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
The great white wine of Ch. Valandraud, with a sparkling sap and balance. With only 4000 bottles produced, it is a nugget that will do wonders on the table in 5 years (to take advantage of its youthful brilliance) or in 15 years.
Blending : 50 % sauvignon gris, 40 % sauvignon blanc, 10 % sémillon.
Galloni : 92-94/100 « The 2022 Valandraud Blanc beautifully marries textural resonance and energy. »
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
In white, Domaine de Chevalier produces a model unique among its peers, made of tension, vivacity and energy. Its mineral side and its capacity to age (30 years and more) bring it closer to the greatest Burgundy whites.
Quarin : 96/100 « Nez intense, fin, fruité, mûr, suave, pur et floral. Touche subtile de citron vert. Délicat en entrée de bouche, particulièrement aromatique au milieu, avec une saveur complexe de fruits rouges et de fruits blancs, le vin se développe ascendant, sans cesse gras, vers une longue finale savoureuse et noble, sans acidité marquée, juste rafraîchie par la menthe. C'est superbe ! »
Galloni : 95-97/100 « The 2022 Domaine de Chevalier is stunning. In most vintages, the Blanc is either incredibly steely or ample in feel. In 2022, it is both. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
The dry white wine of Mouton-Rothschild, very confidential (1000 cases produced per year).
Quarin : 95/100 « Nez intense, au fruité légèrement compoté, rafraîchi par une nuance mentholée. Raffiné en entrée de bouche, puis gras au milieu, parfumé, le vin évolue savoureux et fondant, avec une grâce tactile inédite unifiant tout son parcours au palais. C'est délicieux et long. »
Galloni : 88-90/100 « The 2022 Aile d'Argent is bright, fresh and nuanced. Lemon peel, sage, mint, and tomato leaf are nicely delineated, with the Sauvignon very much driving the flavor profile. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Sophisticated white wine from Pape-Clement, with a balance of tone and concentration that is always perfectly defined. Its 2020, precise, intense, discreetly woody and less smoky than usual, will be among the greatest Bordeaux whites of the decade.
Quarin : 93/100 « Nez intense, au fruité mûr, un peu plus marqué par le sauvignon que de coutume. Bouche au corps fondant et savoureux, se développant suave au milieu, puis le vin va ascendant, long et moelleux. »
Galloni : 93-95/100 « The 2022 Pape Clément Blanc is a very pretty, exotic white. The 2022 offers lovely density and creaminess, with plenty of orchard fruit, marzipan and chamomile flavors, yet also remains light on its feet and wonderfully fresh. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
The white wine of Smith Haut Lafitte has built up a solid reputation over the last 10 years, even if it is not a grand cru classé (but Haut-Brion blanc and Pape-Clément blanc are not either). A happy marriage of wood and fruit, it always delivers a beautiful aromatic complexity, from lime blossom to citrus, and a lively, rich and fine structure.
Quarin : 97/100 « Minutieux en entrée de bouche, très parfumé, avec un corps aérien et de la grâce dans le toucher, le vin ne cesse de fondre, sur une texture noble qui s'étire longtemps, séveuse, solide, délicate, profonde et complexe. Une superbe réussite. »
Galloni : 94-96/100 « The 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is airy, weightless and gracious. Thre's lovely richness and texture but without the opulence of most warm, dry years. The 2022 will be a gorgeous wine at the dinner table. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Ultra-confidential white wine from Cos d'Estournel, with a predominance of Sauvignon Blanc (75%) on a terroir located at the northern tip of the Médoc. The proximity of the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean gives the wine its freshness, its mineral notes and its marine accents.
Quarin : 95/100 « Nez intense, fin, fruité, subtil, noble, épicé, profond et pur. Ample à l'attaque, profond en milieu de bouche, particulièrement aromatique, ce vin fin séduit le palais par sa puissance et son gras fin. Très longue finale complexe et minutieuse, à la saveur d'orange. C'est beau. »
Galloni : 92-94/100 « The 2022 Cos d'Estournel Blanc is gorgeous. More than anything else, it is the wine's balance that is of note. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Straddling Barsac and Sauternes, Haut-Bergeron enjoys a quality terroir superbly exploited by the Lamothe family for 9 generations (!). It is the artisanal cru and the sure value of Sauternes, of which each vintage wins its share of awards in competitions and guides (2016 gold medal Brussels and Paris, 2015 gold medal Frankfurt, etc.).
Quarin : 89/100 « Nez très botrytisé. Bouche au corps fondant, évoluant savoureuse, vers une finale tendre, de longueur moyenne. »
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Administered by the Rothschilds (Mouton) since 1996, Coutet has joined the leading pack of the biggest Sauternes after Yquem. Like Climens, it is a true Barsac, pure and remarkably subtle, but with a more marked liquor. Since 2005, Coutet has been in great shape!
Quarin : 93/100 « Nez intense, fin et subtil. Bouche tout en minutie tactile, avec un toucher cotonneux et une finale délicate et ascendante, où se mélangent les fleurs et les fruits. C'est très bon. »
Martin : 94-96/100 « The 2022 Coutet has impressive focus. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening, fine acidity, pure and harmonious. A tensile and persistent finish drags you back for another sip. Superb. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Doisy-Daëne is never the sweetest wine in its sector, but it always has an expression and an aromatic refinement without equal. A pure Barsac, brilliantly orchestrated by Denis Dubourdieu until 2016.
The 2014 vintage is rated 17-18/20 by the Revue du Vin de France "with pure fruit, generous liquor, it is balanced by the finesse, the minerality of the soil", 18/20 for the 2015 vintage "wine all in suavity and roundness" and 2016 "sparkling and crystalline fruit, pure character that signs the terroir of Barsac".Quarin : 95/100 « Grand nez complexe. Ample à l'attaque, fondant en milieu de bouche, fruité et vanillé, le vin évolue juteux et puissant, tout en fondant, entre le milieu et la finale. Très bonne longueur séveuse et même tramée. »
Galloni : 93-95/100 « The 2022 Doisy-Daëne is all class. Rich, layered and super-expressive. »
Martin : 95-97/100 « The palate is brimming with tension, razor-sharp acidity, quince and tangerine, leading to a slightly peachy, vivacious finish. What a wonderful "DD" from Jean-Jacques Dubourdieu. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Classified among the first growths of Sauternes during the classification of 1855, the vineyard of Rayne Vigneau (84 hectares, including 62 in one piece) is famous for its soil, which is well known to geologists, as it is composed of a great variety of precious minerals of Pyrenean origin. Without losing sight of these "luxurious" origins " Rayne Vigneau offers smooth, easily accessible wines with floral aromas that are particularly marked in their youth.
Revue du Vin de France : 95-98/100 « L'expression est très distinguée avec une dominante d'écorce de citron confit. L'élégance de la forme se déploie loin en bouche, jusqu'à la finale vibrante, ou le fruit rôti mais frais prend des accents minéraux, presque ardoisés. Un style contemporain très abouti. »
Quarin : 93/100 « Caressant dès l'entrée en bouche, juteux au milieu, le vin se développe suave, sur un corps fondant, avec une touche florale de violette très présente sur un des échantillons. Jolie finale délicatement épicée. Vin délicieux, au port envoûtant. »
Galloni : 92-94/100 « The 2022 Rayne-Vigneau is very, very good. Jasmine, green pear, pepper and lemon confit give Rayne-Vigneau a decidedly bright profile to match its mid-weight, focused personality. This understated Sauternes is an absolute delight. »
Martin : 93-95/100 « The palate is well balanced with a tangy entry, very pure with marmalade and peach toward the finish. I like the precision here and it should mature with style. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
In the commune of Preignac, Suduiraut offers a wine that reflects its geographical position: halfway between Sauternes and Barsac. The latest vintages are dazzling in terms of contained power and aromatic distinction.
Revue du Vin de France : 98-100/100 « La saveur abricotée est irrésistible. On monte encore d'un cran dans la volupté de la texture et l'intensité de la saveur par rapport aux autres Premiers crus. L'équilibre et la pureté accompagnent le fruit au bout de cette richesse extravagante. Magistral ! »
Quarin : 97/100 « Le vin brille en bouche de par sa texture minutieuse, son milieu très parfumé, complexe et surtout fondant. Dynamique malgré ses 190 gr de sucre résiduel, le vin s'achève pur, raffiné et superbe. »
Galloni : 92-94/100 « The 2022 Suduiraut offers a lovely mix of botrytis-inflected flavors and textures while also showing quite a bit of freshness. The 2022 is done in the lighter style the château favors these days. »
Martin : 93-95/100 « The palate is pure and viscous in texture, with marmalade, again, and dried honey. Very open and approachable on the finish. Not profound, but quite delicious. Christian Seely said he drank this for breakfast the previous day - why not? »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Climens has been, for more than 50 years, the finest, the fruitiest and the most endearing of the Sauternes wines. Almost discreet in its first youth, Climens does not cease to develop and to refine itself in bottle. Biodynamic since the 2014 vintage. Magnificent 2016 "a fruit of an exemplary purity" noted 19,5/20 by the Revue du Vin de France.
Following 4 years of almost no production (none in 2017, 2018 and 2020, barely 1200 bottles in 2019), Climens changed hands in 2022.More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Denis Dubourdieu (deceased in 2016), known for the quality' of his whites, was concerned to produce in his Château Reynon (80% Merlot) a balanced and charming red wine, favouring fresh fruit and silky tannins.
Quarin : 90/100 « Nez très aromatique, au fruité mûr et profond. Ample comme jamais en entrée de bouche et au milieu, fondant, avec de la classe dans le toucher, le vin évolue savoureux, floral, réglissé, sur une note juteuse de cerise. C'est superbe ! »
Galloni : 89-90/100 « The 2022 Reynon is juicy and super-expressive right out of the gate. This racy Côtes de Bordeaux from the Dubourdieu family delivers the goods. It should be a fabulous value too. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Mrs Papon-Nouvel is known for her 2 wonderful Saint-Émilion wines: Clos Saint-Julien and Petit-Gravet Aîné. But it also owns Peyrou, a small vineyard (10 ha) of the Côtes de Castillon in organic farming.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
Puyguéraud is the reference of the Côtes de Francs, producing with great regularity wines of very high level. The owner, Nicolas Thienpont, also manages Pavie-Macquin and Larcis-Ducasse in St-Émilion. Always well rated, Puyguéraud proves better than others that it is possible to taste a beautiful and great Bordeaux for less than 15 € a bottle.
Galloni : 89-91/100 « The 2022 Puyguéraud bursts from the glass with masses of inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and tobacco. This is an especially rich vintage for Puyguéraud. »
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
-
A 6 ha property (92% Merlot) acquired in 2011 by Mr. Thienpont (Pavie-Macquin, Larcis-Ducasse...). After a break-in period, Alcée takes off in 2016, standing out from its neighbours by its emphasis on finesse, minerality and distinction. A wine with more length than breadth.
Already ranked among the "essential producers" in the 2019 Bettane&Desseauve guide.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025
- Potential alcohol:
- 14.5%
-
Since its acquisition in 1998 by Mr. De Neipperg (Clos de l'Oratoire, Canon-La Gaffelière, La Mondotte), d'Aiguilhe has been part of the new generation of very ambitious wines that bring the appellation of the Côtes de Castillon to a new level. It has just won a second star in the 2023 guide of the Revue du Vin de France.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available 1st quarter 2025