Style: White Wine

Producer: Chateau Les Charmes-Godard

Grapes: 65% Sémillon, 15% Sauvignon Gris, 20% Sauvignon Blanc

Where: Bordeaux

Country: France

Critic tasting note: Bright, pure and silky in texture. The acidity is the key this year, providing good definition to the mineral-tinged lemon zest and white fruit. Lots of length and energy. A luscious texture made more decadent by creamy orchard fruits & rich spice character like candied ginger, cumin, and coriander. 65% Semillon blended with Sauvinon Gris and Sauvignon Blanc. 

Organic Farming

Contrary to popular opinion, you can find excellent wines at very favourable prices in Bordeaux, you just need to know where to look. The minor appellations of the right bank, beyond the borders of the St. Emilion and Pomerol vineyards, are excellent hunting grounds for those seeking out wines which combine quality and value. As with any other region, however, it helps to have some idea of which names, which châteaux and which winemakers regularly deliver this goods.

The Francs Côtes de Bordeaux appellation is one worthwhile destination. It is home to a number of properties associated with famous names, not least Château de Francs, run by a viticultural super-group (if a band with two members can be considered a ‘group’) comprising Hubert de Boüard de Laforest of Chateau Angelus and Dominique Hébrard, onetime co-proprietor of Chateau Chevel Blanc. Another is Château Ad Francos, an ancient property and the ancestral seat of the Rolland family (they have long vacated it, but Michel Rolland does still consult here).