Bordeaux is famous for its red wines, whites representing just 10% of production, of which a tiny 2% is sweet. But, if you go back just 60 years, white wine represented over 50% of the region’s production. 

Why the change? 

There was a catastrophic frost in Bordeaux in 1956. The damage so was bad many vines died and had to be uprooted and replanted. This meant leaving land fallow for several years, then waiting at least three years before the new grapes could be harvested. Slow and expensive in costs and lost production.  

Red grapes replaced a lot of the damaged white vines, mainly Merlot in the cooler soils of the Entre deux Mers. Red vines were replanted too. Cabernets on cooler soils were also replaced with Merlot, which now dominates Bordeaux planting.

White vines are often more frost resistant than red, so should have been less affected. The replanting with red was also a reaction to market forces. As early as the mid 1800s, the fashion was moving away from dry whites to sweet, a trend that continued up until the late 1950s when, in turn, semi-sweet fell out of favour, and reds became more popular. 

The majority of off-dry, and probably pretty ordinary, white wines were hard to sell. This was before temperature controlled fermentation, many white wines suffered from oxidation and an over-reliance on sulphur.

By 1973, red production surpassed white.  

Renaissance 

The 1990s saw the renaissance of white wine in Bordeaux, largely thanks to Denis Dubourdieu and his team at the Bordeaux University. I remember sitting in his tasting class when I first moved to Bordeaux in 1989.

They identified the molecules responsible for the aromatic complexity of white wine, Sauvignon Blanc in particular. Their research lead to a better understanding of how to maximise the presence of these molecules in grapes, through agricultural practises and choice of terroir, but also how to preserve them during wine making, controlling techniques such as pressing, protecting against oxidation, temperature control, skin contact and lees stirring (battonage). 

The resulting white wines of Bordeaux have never been more delicious or such great value than they are today. I’m not alone in thinking so, on a recent BBR Blog, Barbara Drew MW said these wines ‘are astonishingly good value. Dry white Bordeaux is, in my view, the most underrated wine in the world. I couldn’t agree more. 

Nevertheless, white Bordeaux production remains tiny, and is decreasing. When I first arrived in Bordeaux it hovered about 13%, it is now only 10%!

What’s interesting is that white wines are popping up in unexpected places, away from their classic terroir. 

Revise your classics.

Bordeaux Blanc can be made throughout the whole of Bordeaux. The largest region for dry whites is the Entre deux Mers, (reds are made here too but only the whites can carry the Entre deux Mers appellation). Producers here can also use the Bordeaux Blanc appellation; the two appellations together make up 85% of white Bordeaux production. 

Graves and Pessac Léognan are the traditional, and oldest white appellations, home to the only classified dry whites in Bordeaux. 

In the South of the Graves Sauternes, Barsac and Cérons, are famous for the sweet whites of Bordeaux. A region also producing more and more delicious dry whites (more to come on this subject).

The right bank Cotes appellations are an interesting source of great value dry whites and some excellent sweet whites too, look for Cadillac, Loupiac and Saint Croix du Mont.

White Médoc. 

Despite there being no designated white appellation in the Médoc, there is a history of white wine here. Blanc du Médoc could be found on some labels up until the 1960s.

Moving the goal posts.

Château La Dame Blanche Now a Bordeaux Blanc.

Until the 1960s, Blanquefort, in the South of the Medoc, right on the outskirts of Bordeaux city, was in the Graves Appellation. The boundary was La Jalle du Taillan and du Blanquefort, a stream that runs through the vineyard of Château du Taillan and across the North of the Bordeaux golf course into the Garonne River. The Graves appellation now stops at the neighbouring town of Eysines. Armelle Cruse, co-owner and wine maker at Château le Taillan, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in the Haut Médoc, explained how the property changed from Graves to Haut Médoc when the boundary moved. Historically their wines were sold as Graves, red and white. They still make a white wine, 100% Sauvignon Blanc Château La Dame Blanche, (fitting as the property is owned by five sisters) , but now a Bordeaux Blanc.  

Château du Taillan, between Graves and Haut Médoc

Médoc Whites to watch out for 

I’m aware of about 40 different white labels currently produced in the Medoc, not many considering that there are 1 500 properties in the eight appellation of the peninsula. These are all tiny production wines, hard to find, but well worth the search. Perhaps they are a bit of light relief from red wine making? There’s a lot of barrel or amphorae fermentation and ageing on the lees Burgundian (or Pessac Léognan?) style. 

Unlike their Graves and Pessac Léognan neighbours to the south, where Semillon is widely planted, Sauvignon Blanc dominates the whites of the Médoc. Sauvignon is a cooler climate variety, it thrives further north in Loire. Does the slightly more northerly location of the Médoc or the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean give a cooler microclimate that explains the majority 100% Sauvignon wines? 

Famous for its warm Gunzian Gravel soils close to the estuary, perfect for bringing red grapes to optimal maturity, the Medoc also has older, higher and cooler Pyrenean gravel to the west and patches of clay and limestone. These soils explain the importance of Merlot in the over all red blend of the region but are also the best terroir for whites. 

It’s not surprising that some of the oldest white ‘brands’, La Merle Blanc from Château Clarke and Le Cygne from Château Fonreaud are found on the higher, cooler terroir in western Listrac. 

A tale of two centuries 

Château Loudenne, further North in the Medoc appellation is probably the oldest continuous white wine producer in the region, making white Bordeaux since 1880. Selling consistently despite wavering demand, due largely to its success on the UK market thanks to the 19th owners, the Gilbeys. They have recently introduced a new Organic Bordeaux range, red white and rosé, Les Jardins de Loudenne.

A new take on an old tradition, Loudenne Les Jardins.

Château Margaux was producing ‘Chateau Margaux Vin de Sauvignon’ in the 19th century, renamed Pavillon Blanc in the 1920s. So dedicated are they to their white wine that the new cellar designed by Norman Foster opened for the 2015 vintage, is dedicated to their white wine production. 

Georges Cordier, the grandfather of the current owners of Château Talbot in Saint Julien, was one of the first to replant white wine in Médoc in the 1930’s, for their Caillou Blanc de Talbot.

In the 1980s, aware of the history of whites in the Médoc, Philippine de Rothschild planted white vines at Château Mouton Rothschild for l’Aile d’Argent, the name inspired by a fairy story her father used to tell her.

The 90s revolution.

Following the improvement in quality in the 1990s, more white labels started appearing in the Medoc. 

In 1996, one of my favourite whites from the Médoc, Les Arums de Lagrange, was created. The white vines are planted on Haut Médoc land at the Saint Julien property. Named after the Lilies growing around the lake, it has been so successful, extra land has been purchased specifically for white plantations and in 2011 they introduced a second wine Les Fleurs du Lac.

Blanc de Lynch-Bages from Château Lynch Bages arrived around the same time, from white vines on eight specific parcels of the historical Lynch-Bages terroir in Pauillac.

Château Corconnac, a Cru Bourgeois in Haut Medoc planted Sauvignon Blanc vines in the 1990s with the arrival of the new owners the Pairault family. They produce about 1000 bottles per year – just perfect amount to fill a wine press. 

Latest arrivals.

Chateau Cos d’Estournel started small in 2015 with their dry white producing just a 100 cases. By 2018 they had increased production and introduced a second white wine to maintain quality, using same name as red second wine, Les Pagodes de Cos. The white wine grapes are grown on cooler soils to the north of Saint Estephe, not far from their Medoc property Goulée.  

Château Forcas Hosten Blanc

In 2011, Château Fourcas Hosten in Listrac went back to the future, re planting a historic 2ha clay limestone plot with Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris, adding some Semillon later. Caroline Arnaud, who had previously made whites in the Graves, made their first white vintage 2014. She has since moved to Château Clerc Milon, who knows perhaps there will soon be a white wine there too?

2019 is the first white vintage for Le Pélican Blanc de Château Doyac. A biodynamic Cru Bourgeois of Haut Médoc, they selected 1,5 ha on the cooler limestone plateau of Saint-Seurin de Cadourne, fermenting in amphorae and barrels.

The latest member of the club (as far as I’m aware) is Château Brane-Cantenac in Margaux. This classified growth released its first, 2019 vintage of Brane-Cantenac Blanc in December 2020. A three ha micro terroir of cooler clay on a patch of AOC Haut Medoc land of the estate are dedicated to white production. The vines planted include Sauvignon Blanc clones from the Loire Valley and 20% Semillon clones used for sweet Bordeaux production. 

Vin de France. 

With no specific white Médoc appellation, some winemakers are even more adventurous, using the Vin de France designation that allows more freedom in grape varieties than Bordeaux Blanc. 

Le Blanc du Tertre from Chateau du Tertre in Margaux continues the Bordeaux tradition of blending but uses Chardonnay, Viognier and Gros Manseng alongside Sauvignon Blanc, inspired by their experience in Italy at their property Caiarossa. They produce just 6000 bottles from under 2ha of vines. 

Chateau Palmer also produces a small amount of dry white Vin de France. Finding old bottles at the property suggesting white wine was produced here in the early 1900s, Palmer revived the tradition with a tiny production in 2007 using a blend of 50% Muscadelle, 35% Loset and 15% Sauvignon Gris. It’s hard to find but worth the search. 

What way forward? 

Along with dry whites in Sauternes and Barsac and a few in Libournais (more to follow in a future blog), these are top quality wines grown on top quality terroirs. Many producers feel that selling them under the Bordeaux Blanc appellation does them a disservice by not allowing them to identify with their sense of place and their specificity. New appellations are under discussion but opinions are far from unanimous. Many traditionalists feel that using the same appellations for dry whites as for red (or sweet whites) will dilute the image of the appellations, confusing consumers further. 

What will be the future for theses ‘orphaned’ white appellations? Stay tuned. 

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