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.
Very potent nose: reductive flinty notes plus some toasted...
60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Sémillon. Attractive herbal character...
Very attractive wax and vanilla flavours – a real classic white...
Potent, slightly cat-pee-scented aroma and some cereal character...
Smoky, bright citric character. Just a little dilute mid palate...
Restrained nose but nice creamy texture. Pretty brief, but the...
76% Sauvignon Blanc, 24% Sémillon. Only 7% new oak. Sweaty and...
Grapefruit, white flowers, white currant. Slight grassiness...
Lots of dairy character on the nose, but the citrus fruit...
Weirdly, there’s something mildly oxidative about this sample...
54% Semillon, 46% Sauvignon Blanc. Very reductive, almost acrid...
Slightly reductive character which is a bit like cabbage. Light...
61% Sémillon, 39% Sauvignon Blanc. Stunning nose – wax, lemon...
66% Sauvignon Blanc, 34% Sémillon. Rather suppressed nose, but...
100% Sauvignon Blanc. First vintage. Strongly reductive on the...
Juicy, rich fruit with quite a bit of stone fruit, unusually for...
Dry, herbal, crisp but a bit simple. Slight bitterness on the...
Slightly acrid nose, which gives it some spark and intrigue...
Ripe fruit plus a bit of sweetcorn character. Really vibrant and...
Ripe citrus, vanilla essence and light hickory smoke. More...
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Herbal, lime, apple and honeyed character...
76% Sémillon, 24% Sauvignon Blanc. Toasty, gentle lemon fruit...
Sweaty, grassy, and a little bit waxy. Pleasant, refreshing and...
67% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Sémillon. Sweaty, grassy, bright...
Lemon and lime juice, fresh and pleasant though it only goes so...
Toasty, smoky nose plus a smooth, creamy texture. Just a little...
Plenty of oak on the nose, giving a sweet creamy spice. Brisk...
Some flinty reductive hints on the nose. Creamy, rich palate –...
Sauvignon Blanc, says the label. So does the nose: it’s very...
Creamy, succulent white fruit, lovely depth and concentration...
63% Sauvignon Blanc, 37% Sémillon. 20% new oak. Really bright...
Vegetal notes, and ripe oak sweetness too. Not sure how well...
40% Sémillon, 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Muscadelle. Lovely citric...
Grassy, crisp – but dilute on the palate. Nice fresh, herbal...
Bright citrus fruit, a bit of oak spicing, but pretty simple on...
