Grand Village Bordeaux Superieur white, 2020, 750ML

Feature

Tasting Note

Vinous 90, Neal Martin

The 2020 Grand Village Blanc has a nuanced, finely delineated bouquet that unfurls in the glass. Yellow plum and white peach open, as hints of honeysuckle emerge with time. The palate is well balanced with more mineralité on the entry than its peers, remaining quite fresh with a sprightly touch of white asparagus toward the finish. There's plenty of character here. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Drinking Window 2024 - 2030

Winemaking 

Château Grand Village Bordeaux Blanc is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, crafted from 35-year-old vines in the chalky, clayey soils typical of Saint-Émilion. The Guinaudeau family, also owners of the esteemed Château Lafleur, applies their winemaking expertise to produce this standout wine at their original estate in Fronsac.

Rejecting trends of over-ripeness and long macerations, they emphasize balance and finesse, akin to the principle that longer tea steeping can compromise flavor. Following manual, traditional agricultural practices, the grapes are harvested and then vinified: 60% in stainless steel tanks, 30% in new oak barrels, and 10% in one-year-old barrels, all at low temperatures to preserve fruit integrity. The wine ages for 8 months in 225-liter French oak barrels.

Château Grand Village Bordeaux Blanc is a stylish and elegant wine, embodying the classic Bordeaux character that the Guinaudeau family is renowned for.

Winery

The Guinaudeau family has owned and lived in Chateau Grand Village since 1650. They cherish it every bit as much as they do Chateau Lafleur (their other estate) and the vineyards are worked by the same teams, with the same meticulous care and attention to detail that are seen in the great Pomerol vineyard.

The estate is situated in Mouillac on the far side of Fronsac and covers 50 hectares of vines. The soil is clay and chalk and the vines can be found on both the hillsides and plains of Bordeaux. The average age of the vines is 20 years old. Both a Bordeaux blanc and rouge are produced each year, classified as Bordeaux Superieur. The grapes are carefully selected according to the quality of the harvest and any rejected fruit is sold off as generic Bordeaux.