Chateau Carbonnieux 2023 Blanc, Pessac-Léognan

Our favorite White Bordeaux year in and year out is Chateau Carbonnieux. One of the great classics of Bordeaux dry whites, demonstrating its ability to consistently deliver polish and impact while retaining classic white Bordeaux minerality and freshness.

94 Points Wine Enthusiast "Top 100 Cellar Selection of 2023": "The estate is noted for white wine, and this latest release lives up to the reputation. This textured, mainly Sauvignon Blanc wine has tight acidity set against wood aging and ripe citrus and white-fruit flavors."

92 Points Wine Spectator: "Fresh and breezy, with a fleur de sel edge that adds nice energy to the core of gooseberry, white peach and lemon gelée. Presents a pretty quinine echo through the finish. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now through 2026."

91 Points Robert Parker: "The  Carbonnieux Blanc delivers loads of zesty sparks of yuzu and lime peels over a core of green apples, fresh grapefruit and crushed rock with a hint of wild thyme. The medium-bodied palate is crisp and refreshing, offering a great intensity of citrusy flavors with a chalky finish."

Château Carbonnieux is one of the oldest and largest Bordeaux wine estates, featuring eight centuries of history in the Pessac-Léognan appellation of Graves.  Established in the 13th century by the Carbonnieu family and later developed by Benedictine monks from the Sainte-Croix Abbey.  In the 18th century, monks marketed their remarkably clear white wine to the Sultan of Constantinople as "Carbonnieux mineral water" to bypass strict religious rules against alcohol. Thomas Jefferson visited the estate in 1787 during his tour of French vineyards. Purchased and restored by the Perrin family in 1956, and managed today by succeeding generations of the family