2012 Ch. de Respide Cuvée Callipyge, Graves Blanc

2012 Ch. de Respide Cuvée Callipyge, Graves Blanc

Product: 23691
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2012 Ch. de Respide Cuvée Callipyge, Graves Blanc

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Description

Located in the southern part of Graves, Ch. De Respide is a historic property (the white wine in particular was a favourite of Toulouse-Lautrec who often holidayed there). The eponymous gravel soil lends a crisp, saline edge to the Sauvignon Blanc which is tempered by the roundness of the Semillon. Fermentation in oak barrels lends a pronounced spicy, vanilla laced complexity to the whole. More golden coloured than you might expect and with good “legs” too. The nose is huge: mango, lychee and white peach all vie for attention. The palate is really quite concentrated; this needs food. An intriguing juxtaposition of fresh and crisp versus weighty and complex.
Almost too much for white fish – better with cream based chicken dishes or superb with Thai curry.
This dry, medium to full-bodied, white wine is made from 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillon.
Philip Moulin - Fine Wine Team

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About this WINE

Sauvignon Blanc & Sémillon

Sauvignon Blanc & Sémillon

The blend used for White Graves and Sauternes and rarely encountered outside France. In the great dry whites of Graves, Sauvignon Blanc tends to predominate in the blend, although properties such as Smith Haut Lafite use 100% Sauvignon Blanc while others such as Laville Haut Brion have as much as 60% Sémillon in their final blends. Sauvignon Blanc wines can lose their freshness and fruit after a couple of years in bottle - if blended with Sémillon, then the latter bolsters the wine when the initial fruit from the Sauvignon fades. Ultimately Sauvignon Blanc gives the wine its aroma and raciness while Sémillon gives it backbone and longevity.

In Sauternes, Sémillon is dominant, with Sauvignon Blanc playing a supporting role - it is generally harvested about 10 days before Sémillon and the botrytis concentrates its sweetness and dampens Sauvignon Blanc`s naturally pungent aroma. It contributes acidity, zip and freshness to Sauternes and is an important component of the blend.

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