2007 White Bordeaux Wines&Tasting Notes

The Berrys' Fine Wine team are in Bordeaux sending back regular, comprehensive reviews on the 2007 vintage. The tasting notes below highlight some of the stand-out white Bordeaux wines; dry wines from Pessac Leognan and Graves, and sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac.

Berrys' Points
Wines are scored out of 20. Berrys' points are given regardless of price, value and reputation, and are in absolute terms rather than relative to the vintage.

Drink Dates
By definition these are estimated drink dates only based on our experience of how the wines age. As some of the wines mature these drink dates may not turn out to be different from those originally stated.

SWEET WINES

This is an exceptional Coutet: a pale-coloured paragon of delicacy and concentration, as befits this leading Barsac. The nose is beautiful, with zingy peach, orange blossom and an intriguing smokiness. The pure, apricot and lemon tart palate is wonderfully elegant with fresh acidity and an exceptional sweetness, typical of 2007, that will reveal increasing complexity as the wine matures.
BBR Score 17/20 Drink 2012-2025

"Mid honeyed gold. Strong botrytis. Massive richness - real tingle factor and excitement. Long and very thorough and intriguing. Lots of development still to come. Still chewy. Energetic. Long."
Jancis Robinson: 18/20
Drink: 2018-2035

This is a jaw-droppingly good Climens that may just turn out to be the best they have ever made. With 100% Sémillon and, as ever, the epitome of delicacy, finesse and complexity, it is utterly sensational - possibly even better than d'Yquem itself. It has amazing depth and richness yet remains wonderfully vibrant, leaving magical flavours of sweet orange blossom in the mouth. Owner Bérénice Lurton has produced some fabulous wines from this celebrated Barsac estate in recent years but her 2007 is truly sublime. Buy as much of this as you can.
BBR Score 19.5/20 Drink 2012-2040

"As usual, no finished blend of this wine was available for tasting.The most thrilling was a sample picked on 17 Oct as part of the relatively big second trie, or passage through the vineyard. It had a heady aroma of hazelnuts and was amazingly substantial in terms of both body and richness, the keynote of the best 2007 Sauternes. A slightly dry finish (something evident on the Yquem 2007 too) but so fascinating in terms of its array of elements. The wines from the first trie were much lighter and simpler but had great clarity and freshness while the third trie's produce seemed lighter than the second too. But overall, this should be a very promising year for Climens."
Jancis Robinson: 18/20
Drink: 2018-2035

Anybody who has tasted the sensational 1989 Doisy-Védrines will want to snap up the equally good 2007 in an instant. As well as being one of the sweetest wines of the vintage it is exceptionally elegant and well-balanced. The nose is marked by intense, icy-cool tropical citrus while the rich yet fresh palate has wonderfully pure, sweet creamy pineapple fruit, plenty of botrytis and fine balancing acidity. The finish is incredibly long and precise. Made from 95% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Blanc, this is a magically sensual Sauternes at an outstanding price.
BBR Score 17.5/20 Drink 2012-2030

"Pale. Very simple nose but on the palate there is excellent acidity - rather a racy style of sweet wine. Aperitif? Lighter than most but the balance is fine within that idiom. Medium finish. A bit angular - certainly not luscious."
Jancis Robinson: 16.5/20
Drink: 2012-2020

Owned by the Lur-Saluces family since 1472 (and proprietors of d'Yquem until 1999) Ch. de Fargues has produced one of the richest Sauternes of 2007. Its exotic, sweet lemon and botrytis nose is matched by an unctuously textured, focused and enormously concentrated palate with crème brûlée, firm, ripe peach and marmalade hints. With outstanding complexity, class and an exceptionally long finish it is easy to see why this is often mistaken for d'Yquem in its youth. Tiny production, often as little as 500 cases, will make the 2007 de Fargues even more cherished and sought-after than ever. Bravo
BBR Score 18/20 Drink 2015-2030

"Honeyed gold. Low-key nose. Hazelnuts and very, very ripe on the palate. Only just enough acidity but great undertow. Golden syrup and already delightful to drink. Maybe not a very long term wine but it should certainly give pleasure."
Jancis Robinson: 17.5/20
Drink: 2013-2021

The lofty hillside estate of Ch. Guiraud is under new ownership for the 2007 vintage - a small consortium including our friend Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier - but retains the same manager and winemaker, Xavier Plantey, who has produced so many great Guiraud wines over the last 25 years. This is astonishingly rich from the first sniff onwards. Pale amber in colour, it boasts lovely botrytis character while opulent citrus and crème brûlée on the palate is enhanced by luxuriant new oak and lively acidity. A splendid Guiraud that will be very rewarding in the medium term.
BBR Score 16.5/20 Drink 2012-2025

"Honeyed gold. Hint of veg on the nose. Big and round and molten. A burnt edge. A bit hot. All mass rather than finesse."
Jancis Robinson: 16.5/20
Drink: 2017-2027

With its 13th century château and illustrious past (ranked 3rd in the 1855 classification behind d'Yquem and La Tour Blanche), Lafaurie has produced a Sémillon-dominated 2007 of which its forebears would be mightily proud. Deeply-coloured for the vintage, the nose is elegant and fresh with lemons and ripe, juicy peach. The rich, succulent palate is packed full of intense apricots and cream with very good weight and sweetness cloaking the acidity. This will be irresistible at a very young age but will comfortably last for at least 15 years.
BBR Score 16.5/20 Drink 2010-2025

This rightly popular wine from the owners of First Growth Lafite-Rothschild is as engaging and sumptuous as ever in 2007. The soft, dense, rich texture is classic Rieussec while the level of sweetness is more balanced than in some previous vintages. A rich, precise, apricot tart nose is followed by an incredibly concentrated, succulent, creamy palate with apple, caramel and overripe peach, relatively low acidity and a long, intense finish. This hedonistic Rieussec may be a smidgen behind their 2005 and 2001 in quality but it is nevertheless an immensely impressive effort.
BBR Score 17.5/20 Drink 2012-2027

"Sweet, vaguely sticky nose. Certainly impressive for the sugar level! And there's an attractive savoury undertow that stops it being sickly. Lots there. Reverberates. Long. Very long. It has that thing that a good Condrieu has: a subtext."
Jancis Robinson: 19/20
Drink: 2018-2035

Winemaker Pierre Montégut hails from Vouvray, so he particularly enjoys the freshness of his outstanding 2007 made from minuscule yields of 16 hl/ha spread across five pickings. It has one of the most exciting bouquets of the vintage with white flowers, orange blossom and a trace of fresh apricots. The palate is equally brilliant with rich, unctuously-textured peaches and cream and a beguiling complexity. This challenges its legendary 2001 for top place on the podium and is an absolute must-have for any Sauternes lover.
BBR Score 19/20 Drink 2010-2035

Considered the second best Sauternes after the great d'Yquem in the 1855 Classification, this undeniably great terroir has yielded a cracking wine in 2007. A ripe, creamy pineapple and peach nose leads on to a lively, appealing palate with apple tarte tatin and sweet apricots. With its characteristic rich, fruity style but more panache than usual, this boasts complex botrytis notes, good acidity and a pleasing lingering finish. A very fine Sauternes from this noble estate.
BBR Score 16.5/20 Drink 2011-2028

According to the team at d'Yquem, the 2007 vintage reminded them of a combination of 1997, the legendary 1967 and the stylish 1988. The bouquet is already wonderful - like lying on the grass on a warm spring day with all the trees in blossom. The wealth of flavour on the palate is seamless and completely mouthfilling without yet showing the glorious detail to come, while the finish is sensationally long. This has lived up to every expectation in 2007 and will surely be considered, along with the peerless 2001, as one of the truly great d'Yquems of all time.
BBR Score 19.5/20 Drink 2012-2065

"Deep golden with an orange tinge. Very tangy. And thick. At the same time. Massive weight! Extraordinary fullness. An edge of something a bit corrective - almost bitter. Very big and hits you between eyeballs. Citrus pith. Needs to settle down and become more gentle. Big and round. Almost over the top. So rich!!!!! But definite bitterness on the finish. Winemaker Sandrine Garbay, who has been there an incredible 14 years, thinks the 2001 has more finesse. I agree."
Jancis Robinson: 19/20
Drink: 2020-2040

DRY WHITE BORDEAUX

Owned since 1988 by the Cazes family of Lynch-Bages fame, this southern Graves estate has reaped the benefits of a remarkable programme of investment and renovation producing delicious, modern-styled white Bordeaux worthy of a far heftier price tag. The reds may have suffered in 2007 but the whites have excelled. Made from 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Sémillon, this attractive 2007 proofs the point with zippy acidity, ripe, creamy lemon and pear fruit and a long, pure, mouthwatering finish.
BBR Score 14.5/20 Drink 2008-2010

We thought Olivier Bernard's 2006 was sensational, but this has a length and intensity that takes it to an even higher level. From its divine, pure, creamy fruit nose to the seamless, explosive finish that must have lasted 20 minutes, this is nigh-on perfection. Powerful, refined pineapple, citrus, pear and minerals form its core, while firm, perfectly-integrated acidity ensures a glorious future ahead. On a par with Haut-Brion's epic 2007, it is no exaggeration to say that this is one of the finest white Bordeaux ever made.
BBR Score 19.5/20 Drink 2010-2035

"Water white! Catty, straight Sauvignon Blanc aromas. Lightweight but easy and flinty. Nothing to complain about but nothing to really get your teeth into either. Very dry austere finish. Maybe this just needs a lot of time! Clean and dry…. This wine could be said to be the dry white Figeac in that it so often needs far more time to show well than the primeur circus allows."
Jancis Robinson: 16 /20
Drink: 2012-2027

Ch. la Garde's excellent white wine remains very much the preserve of the Bordeaux cognoscenti. Still woefully underestimated and (happily) underpriced, it has produced a 2007 that continues the splash made by its fantastic 2006. The tropical fruit nose is envigorating and exotic, while the fresh, well-balanced palate is packed full of melon, mango and passion fruit wrapped in a subtle vanilla and coconut cocoon of new oak. If you overlooked this outstanding value white last year, make sure you don't make the same mistake again!
BBR Score 16/20 Drink 2009-2013

"Minerals. Dry, sleek, some depth of flavour due to oak ageing. But not very concentrated. Racy and minerals and thirst quenching even if not desperately complex."
Jancis Robinson: 16/20
Drink: 2008-2011

Incontrovertible proof, if any more were needed, that 2007 is a truly fantastic vintage for white Bordeaux. Richer and deeper than any other wine this year, this is an exceptional and formidable Haut-Brion Blanc; it is certainly the best here for a very long time, which is praise indeed. A majestic nose of pears and minerals leads on to an ultra-expressive, masculine palate with concentrated, precise tropical fruit, pink grapefruit and coconut. As rare and sought-after as ever, those fortunate enough to drink this sublime wine will be in for an unforgettable experience.
BBR Score 18/20 Drink 2012-2040

"55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Semillon. Rich and sulfidey on the nose - more obvious weight than the Laville. Very glorious and broad with lots of lanolin. Still pretty chewy but there is a big difference between the slimline Laville and the much richer Haut-Brion Blanc this year. Really interesting serious wine for the long term. Very long. Lemon oil. Spicy and only just dry. The acidity seems much lower than in the Laville. Big and bold."
Jancis Robinson: 18/20
Drink: 2012-2022

With only 500 cases made in 2007, Laville Haut-Brion is once again one of the rarest, and one of the very best, white wines in Bordeaux. Made from 83% Sémillon and 17% Sauvignon Blanc, its 2007 is wonderfully citrusy with an intense, creamy lemon and lime nose and a full, silky palate with exotic, ripe grapefruit, minerals and hints of almonds and quinine. As always, the finish is to die for - incredibly long and focused with tropical banana and pineapple notes - while there is enough acidity here to enable it to last forever (or almost).
BBR Score 17/20 Drink 2012-2040

"82% Sémillon, 18% Sauvignon Blanc but it tastes much more like a Sauvignon than a Sémillon. Very ripe and ample on the nose. Menthol and a hint of blackcurrant leaf. Very dry finish. Lots of astringency and powerful Sauvignon-like characteristics. Super fresh and vibrant with a only light undertow of lemony weight. Racy rather than fat. Sharp and refreshing. Much more complex and spicy than a regular oaked Sauvignon/Sémillon blend, for example, but not the richest vintage for Laville - a slightly slimline bitter lemon of a wine. Very tight but light too."
Jancis Robinson: 17.5/20
Drink: 2012-2018

Long revered for their gorgeous reds from Ch. Lynch Bages, the Cazes family have revolutionised the quality of its little-known white with impressive results. An enticing nose of Granny Smith apples and creamy citrus that makes you want to jump into the glass is followed by a lovely full, round palate with intense, exotic fruit, a fine streak of minerality and a very long finish. Made from 45% Sémillon, 45% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Muscadelle it is not outlandishly fruity but will be a perfect food wine. Racy and elegant, it is arguably even better than the excellent 2006.
BBR Score 16/20 Drink 2009-2012

Not sure what the fuss over white Bordeaux is all about? Still addicted to white Burgundy? Well, pick up a case of this wonderful Malartic-Lagravière and we assure you that you will be converted. From a tiny 6ha plot, owners Jean-Jacques and Sévérine Bonnie have produced one of Bordeaux's most elegant, minerally whites in 2007. With pure, concentrated, lemon, lime and gooseberry fruit, you can literally taste the stones on the long, powerful finish. One of the most impressive dry whites we have tasted this year, this has all the fruit and acidity to age for a decade or more.
BBR Score 17/20 Drink 2009-2018

Intriguing if light suggestion of honeysuckle on the nose. Quite rich and sweet. Pretty flashy with only just enough acidity but pure flavours and pretty brilliant really. Lots of layers here. Rich finish. Long. Opulent, maybe won't last all that long because of the richness? No, it seems to have enough. No oiliness - though it is a massive monster…! A very ambitious wine indeed. Very long. But with good life and excitement and vitality too. Quite a superstar!
Jancis Robinson: 17.5/20
Drink: 2009-2015