At this time of year, we are all looking for a tipple that is a little bit special to grace our Christmas table, something different from the everyday wines that we might pick up at the supermarket during the rest of the year. Speciality wine auctions are a fantastic place to source good quality wine at reasonable prices, and if you are looking for something a little different, white Bordeaux is rapidly growing in popularity in both the retail and auction world.
Château Smith Haut-Lafitte 1987, blanc, Pessac-Léognan
Estimate: £500-700 plus buyer's premium in the Fine Wine & Whisky Sale on 2nd December
For most of us, the name ‘Bordeaux’ is synonymous with red wine, and indeed white Bordeaux makes up only 7% of the wine produced in the region today. However, this was not always the case. Up until the late 1950s, the wines made in Bordeaux were almost equally split between red and white. After a devastating frost in 1956, the vines in the region were widely replanted, and changes in consumer tastes and a deeper understanding of the soils and terroir led to the vast majority of new vines being switched to varieties of red.
The majority of white Bordeaux wines are made from Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, with a much smaller percentage coming from Muscadelle and Sauvignon Gris. Two distinct types of white wines come out of the region, light, crisp and fruity sweeter whites which tend to be more affordable, and rich and oily dry whites, which often at the more expensive end of the market.
Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2000, Pessac-Léognan, Blanc (twelve bottles)
Sold for £750 (plus buyer’s premium)
The Pessac Leognan appellation produces some of the finest white Bordeaux wines, many of which compare to the very best white wines made anywhere in the world. Top producers include Chevalier, Smith Haut Lafite, and the mighty Chateau Haut Brion, which produces the finest Bordeaux Blanc. Haut Brion Blanc is celebrated for its complexity, intensity of flavour and rich textures, and unlike a lot of white Bordeaux can be aged for decades.
Bordeaux also produces the wonderful sweet white wines that come for Sauternes and Barsac, which many of us will only drink at Christmas. Decadent and rich, they are produced when the grapes are attached by botrytis, also known as noble rot. The damp and warm conditions of the Sauternes and Barsac microclimates are perfect for the formation of botrytis, which causes the fruit to shrivel and become more concentrated, spicey, and honeyed.
Château Mouton Rothschild 1995 Aile d'Argent, Blanc (eight bottles)
Sold for £220 (plus buyer’s premium)
Good, drinkable white Bordeaux wines can be picked up at auction in cases or in multi-bottle lots starting at £100-200, a fraction of the price you would pay for the same bottles at retail. Whilst it is still relatively scarce at auction in comparison with its red counterpart, keep your eyes peeled for cases of the best Chateau Haut Brion Blanc which are worthy of the grandest Christmas table.
