Bordeaux Blanc
The vintage
2023 will be remembered by Bordeaux winemakers as a challenging vintage, saved by an exceptional Indian summer. The cold winter and abundant rainfall in the early part of the year are typical of the Bordeaux oceanic climate. Between April and June, a warm and humid weather pattern sets in, resulting in unprecedented mildew pressure. It is during flowering, in June, that the pressure is the strongest with an alternation of rain and heat causing significant crop losses (75% of Entre Deux Mers is affected) and requiring meticulous monitoring in spared vineyards. After a cooler than normal August, a heatwave between August 18th and 24th changes the face of the vintage: summer settles in September with very hot and dry weather, allowing excellent ripening of the white grape varieties which are harvested from August 23 onwards.
Location
Les Légendes R Bordeaux blanc comes from the Entre-deux-Mers region.
Terroir
Entre-deux-Mers vineyard rests on the hillsides located between the two rivers South East of Bordeaux: the Dordogne and the Garonne. To get our Bordeaux Blanc so incredibly crisp and aromatic we harvest the grapes before sunrise. This keeps them cold and preserves their delicate aromas, producing wine that’s bursting with flavour from the moment it’s opened.
Winemaking
After pressing of the graoes, a cold maceration (4°C) takes place during a few days (3 to 4 days) in order to extract more aromas from the skins contact. The juice is then fermented à low temperature (16°C) in stainless steel vat. No malolactic fermentataion to keep the fresnness and the acidity of the wine. The wine is aged on lees in vats a few weeks in order to get more volume and richness in mouth.
Tasting
Pale straw color. The nose is highly aromatic, dominated by notes of exotic fruit (passion fruit, pineapple) and citrus. On the palate, the wine shows good volume, perfectly balanced by its freshness.
Alcohol content
11.5
Grapes
Sauvignon blanc
: 90 %
Sémillon
: 10 %