Chateau Closiot Bordeaux Blanc '23

Jean-Marie Guffens is best known for the remarkable white Burgundies he produces at Domaine Guffens-Heynen in the Mâconnais. In 2017, Jean-Marie and his wife, Maine, purchased Château Closiot, a small eight hectare estate in Barsac. The property sits on the Clos Bonneau, where red clay and gravel rest over the limestone base that distinguishes Barsac from neighboring Sauternes. Guffens was drawn to this terroir for its ability to produce wines with concentration while retaining freshness and mineral tension.

Although Barsac is famous for sweet wine, Guffens also saw tremendous potential for dry whites. The 2023 Château Closiot Bordeaux Blanc is made from 60% young vine Sémillon, 38% Sauvignon Blanc, and a small amount of Muscadelle. The grapes are harvested by hand, with the Sémillon vinified in rounded, tulip shaped concrete vats and the Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle handled in used barrels. No new oak is used. Just 9,500 bottles were produced.

This is not the simple, sharply herbal style that many people associate with inexpensive white Bordeaux. Sémillon gives the wine breadth and texture, while Sauvignon Blanc contributes freshness and lift. The 2023 shows citrus, white flowers, and almond, with an ample, tactile palate balanced by bright acidity and a gentle bitterness on the finish. Guffens’s Burgundian sensibility is evident in the wine’s texture, precision, and purity. Drink it with roasted halibut and beurre blanc.