2019 - Les Champs Libres Guinaudeau

Peach, nectarine, citrus, slate and oyster shell aromatics make you salivate even before you taste the wine. This is followed by grip and poise on the palate, with pummice stone scraping from the first moment, with a curl of gunsmoke reduction. It evolves in the glass, showing tension and balance, along with creamy citrus fruits. Just love this wine, increasingly setting the pace for white Bordeaux and truly worth seeking out. 100% Sancerre genetics for the Sauvignon Blanc, vinified entirely in new oak, in a mix of Burgundy barrels and larger-sized oak casks. Harvest September 6 to 9. From the same family as Château Lafleur in Pomerol.

The 2019 Les Champs Libres conveys composure on the nose, touches of pear, Granny Smith and menthol, fine cohesion, quite flattering at this early stage. The palate is well-balanced with a touch of reduction on the entry, fine acidity, a lot of extract here with white peach and apricot towards its toasty, sesame-tinged finish. Wonderful. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

The 2019 Les Champs Libres, 95% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Semillon, requires a lot of swirling to bring out notes of fresh lemon peel, elderflower, and white peaches, plus suggestions of white pepper and allspice. The medium-bodied palate reveals a crisp backbone and tight-knit, chalky flavors, finishing zesty. It needs time!