Score: 90/100
This white Bordeaux, Château de Rochemorin made by Vignobles André Lurton is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc wine, fermented in French oak barrels, then aged for 10 months in those same barrels (35% new), on full lees with regular bâtonnage (lees stirring).
About 2014 Vintage: Winter and spring were very mild, but summer featured heavy rains during July, and a cool August for Bordeaux. September and a bright Indian summer saved the season with favorable weather to finish ripening the grapes.
Tasting Notes
This Graves white comes in a rather intense lemon-yellow color for a young wine, and more importantly filled with plenty of gold hues make it look very shiny and bright.
The nose somewhat follows suit, with big intensity on the tropical fruit aromas. You can definitely smell the typical Sauvignon Blanc notes, and the typical Bordeaux ones at that, with clear boxwood character, edging on the cat’s pee. But it’s elegant and not overwhelming.
Much more noticeable and dominant, are powerful aromas of ripe pineapple and juicy mango. This clearly smells like a very ripe Sauv Blanc, reminding of some coming from New Zealand in certain regards, although not as grassy here.
Add hints of brioche and wax, and of lifted sweet spices such as nutmeg, and you get a rather complex and pungent nose.
The palate is dry with a distinctive oily texture. Acidity is marked too, providing great freshness that underlines shiny lemon flavors. Big burst of tropical notes in your mouth as well, that develop into sour dough and oaky notes of caramel, and Christmas pudding spices towards the finish.
Around the finish as well, come through some granulous tannins, a little rough ones it has to be said, although not unpleasant. They feel like a little green and edgy phenolics that have been nicely rounded up by the barrel maturation and brought to become civilized features.
Overall
A characterful and packed-full of flavors Sauvignon Blanc that combines the refinement of a good Pessac-Léognan white vinified in oak, with the powerful features of warmer climate Sauv Blanc.
Pleasant and interesting. It is clearly meant to be paired with foods, slightly rich ones at that but not too much so: creamy seafood or poultry dishes for example.
Enjoy 🙂
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