A.O.C Bordeaux
CBSB
Region: France, Bordeaux
Background: Château Bauduc is a wine estate just south of the town of Créon in Bordeaux's Entre-deux-Mers region between the Dordogne and Garonne rivers, although its wines are predominantly produced under the wider Bordeaux appellation title. The estate – owned and managed by expat Britsh husband-and-wife team Gavin and Angela Quinney – produces a range of wines including a Bordeaux whites, Bordeaux reds, rosés and a sparkling Crémant de Bordeaux.
Tasting notes: Not only Gordon Ramsay's house wine for the last 20 years - but also Rick Stein's, and more recently, more recently, the prestige house white at the Hotel du Vin. A crisp, dry white wine, made from Sauvignon Blanc.
A very varietal and fruit-dominated style, with yellow capsicum underpinning the notes of peach and tangerine. The palate carries the same characteristics, defined and reinforced by the slightly pungent, gooseberry, capsicum character. Lots of vivacity, but also some substance, a sandy weight to it, and a pithy, bitter-fruit finish.
Expert opinion
Previous Vintages:
Château Bauduc Sauvignon Blanc (Bordeaux) 2019
A blend of 95% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Semillon, vinified in stainless steel, and listed as the house white in a number of top restaurants. A nice concentration in the glass, and a charming nose, although it takes an hour or so to really open up, moving from a slightly herby and grassy start to plentiful peach and apricot fruits, with a smoky core of crushed chalk. The palate follows the lead of the nose, with plenty of energy, a chalky and textural weight, with stone fruit notes as a nod to the ripeness of the vintage, but with nice acid freshness too. Already bottled, under screwcap, and good to go now. From my Bordeaux 2019 primeurs assessment. 92/100
Chris Kissack, thewinedoctor.com. June 2020.
Château Bauduc Sauvignon Blanc (Bordeaux) 2018
It is easy to forget, in the green and grassy world of commercial Sauvignon Blanc, that the variety is in fact an aromatic one. If you find yourself in need of a reminder of its status look no further than this wine; aromatically this is all lychee, kumquat and mango, a tropical fruit salad dusted with scented white chalk, with none of that grassy edge. It offers the same evocative fruit profile on the palate, with a glycerol-tinged texture, and happily it has a little tingle of acidity too, keeping it fresh, leading into a lime and buttercream finish. Rich in fruit and body, this will be a real crowd-pleaser. Bottled under Stelvin screwcap. From a 2021 Update. 92/100
Chris Kissack, thewinedoctor.com. January 2021.
'The Quinney family's 20th vintage sauvignon is a bosky, gooseberry, lime and lemongrass mouthful.'
Jane MacQuitty's Star Buy in The Times, £11.95, June 2020
Selected for 'best summer wine to buy now': 'This sauvignon blanc is dry and refreshing, with a subtle citrus note.
Will Lyons in The Sunday Times, June 2020
“These bottles were intended for Rick Stein’s restaurant, where Bauduc sauvignon blanc has been a stalwart of the list for many years now. Bordeaux sauvignon blanc is refreshing, nettly, citrusy and greatly under-appreciated by sauvignon drinkers. You’ll find some newer releases on the Bauduc site as well, with free delivery to England and Wales for orders of 12 or more bottles, though please order in multiples of 12.”
Victoria Moore's Easter Wine of the Week in the Telegraph, April 2020
"Bright, breezy sauvignon with ripe peach flavours, good depth and a long, dry finish."
Bordeaux Hot 50, 2020 selection.
"This is a classic Sauvignon Blanc that has been the house wine for the Hotel du Vin, Gordon Ramsay and Rick Stein for many years."
Jane Anson's 'Top 10 Affordable Bordeaux Wines', Decanter 2018
“This scrumptious Sauvignon is packed with refined nettle and lemon grass zing”
Jane MacQuitty’s Best Buys in The Times, £10.95, January 2018.
“A crisp, unoaked white. Unlike the wines of Marlborough, Bordeaux sauvignon blanc has gentlemanly understatement. Think unripe nectarines.”
Victoria Moore's 60 Best Wines for Christmas in The Telegraph in ‘Whites over £10'.
“The question I get pretty much more than any other is how to find reliable value in Bordeaux,” writes Jane Anson, Decanter’s Bordeaux critic. “This is a region with 110,000 hectares, with 6,568 producers declaring a harvest in 2016.
“The sheer bewildering choice is one of the reasons for paying a little bit more for a bottle of wine when looking for assurance over quality, but there are plenty of producers who manage to deliver it at lower price points.
“I taste through thousands of wines each year… and there are certain names that surface again and again – and cost no more than £30 a bottle and often under half that.
“This is a selection of the wines that make it into my fridge or on to the table regularly.
“The classic unoaked Bordeaux white. Always difficult to suggest bottles from people that you know well, but the British Quinney family has lived in the Créon region of Entre deux Mers since 1999, and make a fresh, understated and extremely juicy white wine that matches well with food.
“This is a classic Sauvignon Blanc that has been the house wine for the Hotel du Vin, Gordon Ramsay and Rick Stein for many years.
“A quick walk through the vineyards here also tells you these steep slopes are perfectly exposed for maximizing the ripening sun.”
Jane Anson's 'Top 10 affordable Bordeaux wines' in Decanter.
“Gavin and Angela Quinney have created a very slick and successful operation at Château Bauduc outside Bordeaux - it says something that they supply the house wines for Rick Stein and Gordon Ramsay. The Château Bauduc blanc 2016 is 100% Sauvignon and made in the modern style, with attractive grassiness on the nose and enjoyable texture on the palate - it’s fresh but not thin.”
Harry Eyres, ’What to drink’ in Country Life, May 2017 issue
“Chateau Bauduc Sauvignon Blanc 2016. 12%. www.bauduc.com. £11.
Englishman Gavin Quinney makes this sauvignon blanc at his estate 15 miles from Bordeaux and it's lovely - no wonder it's been the house white at Rick Stein's for years. Bright but gentle, crisp and modern but not pithy, just fresh with a lemon, elderflower and yellow nectarine taste. Class act.”
When we wrote to say thanks, Victoria replied:
“It is the most perfect wine. I feel like a specialist in £10 wines as I taste so many of them, and it hits exactly the beautiful spot. I love love loved it. And say any of that if you want.” Oh, alright then.
Victoria Moore, Telegraph 'Wines of the Week', August 2017.
“The nose pole-vaults out of the glass and embraces you with its citrus generosity. The palate is zesty, taut and refreshing with more depth than you might expect allowing you to shovel down some hastily prepared canapés to reward this delicious drink. Bauduc Blanc is the Holy Grail for those of you who can’t get the pot pourri and fruit salad notes out of your olfactory system left behind by chemistry set, bulk-bottles Sauvignon. It is classy, elegant, nerve-tingling and, dare I say it, what we should all taste to remind us what Sauvignon Blanc should be like!”
Matthew Jukes, The Week and Money Week
“A thoroughly fine dry white Bordeaux… it would make a lovely wine at the table. Excellent value.”
Jancis Robinson MW, Jancisrobinson.com
and one of our favourites:
“Without a shadow of a doubt, the best value white we have had all year is Château Bauduc, a crisp, white Bordeaux that we scoffed merrily both as an aperitif and with food. Apparently, it is the house white in Gordon Ramsay’s three-star restaurants, whoever he is.”
Pat Leahy, The Sunday Business Post (Ireland)
SICCAW
Region: France, Bordeaux
Grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon
Tasting notes: Pale yellow wine, green at the rim, displaying a crisp and powerful nose in which citrussy and floral aromas are subtly mingled with rose and passion fruit. The chewy, ample palate is underpinned by a hint of refreshing acidity. Harmonious, lingering finish. After a fresh front-of-palate, the rich, fat structure is revealed - a perfectly balanced wine.
Awards: Silver Medal - Concours de Bordeaux 2023
SICCGW
Region: France, AOC Bordeaux
Grape variety: Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc
Background: Château Guiraud is committed to the production of traditional Sauternes, but also produces this dry Bordeaux Blanc. Currently 15 of the Château's 100 hectares are currently used for the production of this interesting wine. G of Château Guiraud is a dry white wine of Bordeaux Appellation. Its wine reveals a rich expression and a confident personality. It is made from ripe grapes. Its high level of sauvignon blanc firms the style of the property. The G represents the front door into the Château Guiraud brand.
Tasting notes: Classic dry white Bordeaux, giving crisp, gooseberry and nettle aromas combined with soft honey and blossom. Well balanced on the palate, with a refreshing finish.
An excellent dry white, giving crisp, gooseberry and nettle aromas combined with soft honey and blossom. Well balanced on the palate, with a refreshing finish.
SICCL
Region: France, AOC Bordeaux
Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot
Tasting notes: One of the shining stars of the "Petit Chateaux" from Bordeaux. In many ways - more interesting than Australian wine.
This wine has a beautiful sombre red colour with deep purple tints. Generous, complex bouquet, with notes of blackcurrant and blackberry clearly discernible with a hint of spice in the background. The impression on the palate is one of a creamy, smooth wine with fine length and structure thanks to beautifully balanced tannins. A harmonious whole that closes with a soft, balanced finish of jammy fruit notes.
SICCM
Region: France, AOC Bordeaux
Grape variety: Merlot (60%), Cabernet Franc (25%) & Cabernet Sauvignon (15%)
Background: This family-owned estate lies on a limestone plateau in the village of Juillac near Castillon la Bataille. Born into a family which had rented the property for 3 generations, Pierre Ciroli purchased it in 2000. Pierre Ciroli does all the viticultural and winemaking work on the estate, shouldered by his two sons who will be taking up the reins of the business after him. The greatest possible attention is paid to the vines and no effort is spared to ensure that tradition is respected in this vineyard of human dimensions.
Tasting notes: The dark red colour is prolonged by a rich and generous bouquet, where we distinguish notes of small red berries, spices and undergrowth. The palate is not to be outdone, its structure reveals elegant tannins perfectly rounded and married to a fleshy texture which gives it both balance and length in the mouth. A perfect Bordeaux for any meal! Gourmet fruity, it goes perfectly well with many dishes.
SICSBR
Region: France, AOC Bordeaux
Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot
Background: Sirius is a modern Bordeaux both in style and presentation, a wine of the finest quality with fullness and depth of a typical Bordeaux.
Winemaking process: The majority of the grapes are vinified in the traditional Bordeaux way: the bunches are totally de-stemmed and the grapes fermented, in vat, at between 27 and 32oC to extract colour and tannins. There follows a period of vatting (15-21 days) to give the wines their characteristic Bordeaux structure and the potential to age well. To maximize the fruit, however, the remaining proportion of grapes undergoes carbonic maceration. Once the different vats are blended, Sirius is aged in French oak barriques for 12 months.