2013 CHÂTEAU BEAUMONT Blaye – a brilliantly priced ‘old school’ classic White Bordeaux

by David Porter

2013 CHÂTEAU BEAUMONT ‘Les Pierrières’ Blaye

2013-CHATEAU-BEAUMONT-BLANC-Les-Pierrieres-Blaye.240x700.10470

Just £8.95 per bottle or £8.50 case price*

Village: Blaye  Sub-district: Blaye & Bourg
Grapes: Sémillon, Sauvignon  ABV: 13%

Tasting Notes

This is delicious drinking – made from old vine Sauvignon Blanc (70%) and Sémillon (30%).  A beautifully crafted white Bordeaux which will appeal to drinkers of even the best wines from the Graves. Fermented in wood, but only kept in the barrels for the fermentation, this adds a little texture and smooth’s out any hard edges so often found in wines at this level.  It has lively zip to the fruit and a palate filled out with a gentle touch of Sémillon weight.

Chateau Beaumont

On the right bank of the Gironde – almost directly opposite the village of Margaux lies the small commune of Blaye. Chateau Beaumont is a typical wine producing estate in this part of Bordeaux – of their 18 hectares of vines – only 1.5 are planted with white varieties.

Traditionally it is the red that sells – and to invest too heavily in improving the whites has always been seen as an unnecessary expense.  Here at Chateau Beaumont though an excellent plan was developed.  They hit on the idea of barrel-fermenting their white in the new barrels destined for the red wine. Since the white grapes are picked early (in August) it completes its fermentation in wood and is back in tank by the time of the ‘décuvage’ of the red. Because the barrels were needed for the red, their cost has not been factored in to the price of this fantastic bright and surprisingly complex white, which is amazing value for a barrel-fermented wine.

2013 CHÂTEAU BEAUMONT ‘Les Pierrières’ Blaye

* Mix any 12 bottles from our website to qualify for our case price discount. Free delivery on all orders over £100.