For a list of all our articles, see Bordeaux 2013 – a guide to our coverage.
Dry white Bordeaux was generally more successful than red in 2013, it seems to me. The lightness that plagued so many Cabernet Sauvignons is far less fatal for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, and nor is there the challenge of having to balance tricky tannins.
Having said that, some of the big names performed rather modestly, and there are no very high scores. Despite depleted volumes, there is no compelling argument to buy these en primeur.
The tasting notes are listed in alphabetical order.
17.5
/20
White
Very potent nose: reductive flinty notes plus some toasted-cereal character. Grassy, herbal, citric and smoky. Really bold and confident. Lots of length too. The charisma of the nose could be divisive, but I like it very much. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2022
16.5
/20
White
60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Sémillon. Attractive herbal character merging with soft oak and lots of vivid lemon fruit. Lovely sweet fruit, but certainly dry to finish. Well made, enjoyable and quite viscous on the length. (RH)
Drink:
2014
–
2017
17.5
/20
White
Very attractive wax and vanilla flavours – a real classic white bordeaux nose. Lots to enjoy here – sweet citrus fruit, bright acid and plenty of herbal character too. Long finish with an attractive chewy texture. No shortcomings of the vintage discernible here! (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2020
16.5
/20
White
Potent, slightly cat-pee-scented aroma and some cereal character too. Juicy, light, very charming and very much ready to drink too. (RH)
Drink:
2014
–
2018
15.5
/20
White
Smoky, bright citric character. Just a little dilute mid palate, and the finish tails off suddenly. (RH)
Drink:
2014
–
2018
15.5
/20
White
Restrained nose but nice creamy texture. Pretty brief, but the flavours are well formed. Slightly chalky texture. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2017
White
76% Sauvignon Blanc, 24% Sémillon. Only 7% new oak. Sweaty and herbal, but somehow charming! Flinty and smoky too, and with a lovely soft texture on the palate. Great length and concentration with a perky lemongrass bitterness on the finish. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2025
16.5
/20
White
Grapefruit, white flowers, white currant. Slight grassiness. Quite simple and short on the palate, though the purity of the flavours is very good. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
White
Lots of dairy character on the nose, but the citrus fruit dominates on the palate. Lovely dried-hay character on the finish. Floral and lifted. Medium length, great balance. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2019
White
Weirdly, there’s something mildly oxidative about this sample. Or is that a bit of skin contact? It almost evokes something from Jura than Bordeaux. Bitter finish as well. Not at all bad, just incongruous. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
White
54% Semillon, 46% Sauvignon Blanc. Very reductive, almost acrid on the nose. Loads of citrus and metallic notes. Quite interesting – though has a very distinctive personality that could be overwhelming. Stylised and pronounced. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
15.5
/20
White
Slightly reductive character which is a bit like cabbage. Light texture, slight vanilla note from oak. A bit bony. (RH)
Drink:
2014
–
2018
White
61% Sémillon, 39% Sauvignon Blanc. Stunning nose – wax, lemon, vanilla and fresh herbs. Charming texture, and a lightness of body that fits into the balance well. Modest length, but good concentration and potential for development. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2020
17.5
/20
White
66% Sauvignon Blanc, 34% Sémillon. Rather suppressed nose, but lots of charming apple, citrus and waxiness on the palate. Long and concentrated on the mid palate – has a really convincing intensity while being very formative at this stage. (RH)
Drink:
2017
–
2023
17.5 +
/20
White
100% Sauvignon Blanc. First vintage. Strongly reductive on the nose. Charming oak on the palate, that really adds complexity and volume to the palate. Gets the best out of Sauvignon Blanc – and the oak is really complementary to the grapefruit and lime fruit. Bears a strong resemblance to great oaked cuvées form the Loire – and indeed, they use clones from Sancerre. Very interesting, very sophisticated. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2023
White
Juicy, rich fruit with quite a bit of stone fruit, unusually for the style. Dry, pithy and crisp on the finish. Opulent. (RH)
Drink:
2014
–
2019
White
Dry, herbal, crisp but a bit simple. Slight bitterness on the finish doesn’t help. (RH)
Drink:
2014
–
2018
16.5 +
/20
White
Slightly acrid nose, which gives it some spark and intrigue. Flinty, smoky, tropical citrus. Combines razor-edged acidity with plump fruit very successfully. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
White
Ripe fruit plus a bit of sweetcorn character. Really vibrant and expressive, though a little light on the palate. (RH)
Drink:
2014
–
2018
White
Ripe citrus, vanilla essence and light hickory smoke. More substance than you’d expect on the palate. Lovely grapefruit and pineapple-juice flavour – almost a bit sweet. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2020
White
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Herbal, lime, apple and honeyed character. Lovely texture, and much more length and body than the red equivalent. Real core concentration. Creamy, rounded, pure. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2020
White
76% Sémillon, 24% Sauvignon Blanc. Toasty, gentle lemon fruit. Light creamy texture, and quite a pithy, almost chewy finish. Very delicate, but the flavours are fully formed. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
16
/20
White
Sweaty, grassy, and a little bit waxy. Pleasant, refreshing and light with plenty of fresh easygoing fruit. Shortish finish. (RH)
Drink:
2014
–
2016
White
67% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Sémillon. Sweaty, grassy, bright. Lovely sweetness to the fruit, very charming and sophisticated. Light waxy feel and good persistence. A bit of leafy bitterness to finish. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2020
15.5
/20
White
Lemon and lime juice, fresh and pleasant though it only goes so far. Easy drinking, inoffensive. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
15.5
/20
White
Toasty, smoky nose plus a smooth, creamy texture. Just a little lacking in fruit on the mid palate. Pleasant, light and easy-drinking style. (RH)
Drink:
2014
–
2017
White
Plenty of oak on the nose, giving a sweet creamy spice. Brisk, pert citrus on the palate. Powerful and juicy. Good length. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2022
17.5
/20
White
Some flinty reductive hints on the nose. Creamy, rich palate – lemon curd, vanilla, toast. Great persistence and concentration. Super! With its rich flavour spectrum, this has all the makings of a long-lived Graves. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2023
White
Sauvignon Blanc, says the label. So does the nose: it’s very citric and grassy. Nice pithy texture, good concentration. (RH)
Drink:
2014
–
2016
White
Creamy, succulent white fruit, lovely depth and concentration. Pithy, orange-peel character. Waxy mouthfeel – really attractive texture. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2020
White
63% Sauvignon Blanc, 37% Sémillon. 20% new oak. Really bright, crisp, green citrus, grapefruit and honeyed notes, flinty and waxy. Starts strongly, but finishes a little light. Chewy texture. (RH)
Alcohol: 12.9%
Drink:
2014
–
2018
White
Vegetal notes, and ripe oak sweetness too. Not sure how well that combinations sits on the palate. Seems to be lacking acid too, slightly. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2017
White
40% Sémillon, 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Muscadelle. Lovely citric aroma, but pretty restrained on the palate. Some bitter leafiness. Pretty simple, though nicely balanced. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
White
Grassy, crisp – but dilute on the palate. Nice fresh, herbal lift, but it doesn’t go anywhere. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
White
Bright citrus fruit, a bit of oak spicing, but pretty simple on the palate. Phenolic and pithy on the finish. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2016
