Medium gold color; white peach, pear, apple, citrus, lemon, oak, vanilla, honey, minerality on the nose and palate.
Dry; no tannins, some acidity, but nothing like a pure-sauv blanc play from New Zealand. Blend of 60% sauvignon blanc, 30% sémillon, 10% sauvignon gris. Textured in the mouth thanks to six months in oak, some beeswax from the sémillon. Medium body. Moderate finish where some sauv blanc and savignon gris tartness works into the drama. The sémillon, sauvignon gris (a clonal mutation of sauv blanc), and oak program tone down the sauvignon blanc to make for a calmer, fuller-in-the-mouth experience. 13.5% ABV
The Famille Lesgougues company was born in 1974. Today, the third generation manages the group. The website is very light on winemaking notes, but heavy on their commitment to art. The website notes:
“Since the 1980’s, the Lesgourgues Family is committed to promoting contemporary art through an ambitious and constant patronage policy. This commitment can be seen through the artists’ residency hosted at Château de Laubade or by means of special orders placed for Château Haut Selve. This definitely boosts the emergence and the fame of young French artists. All the artworks are part of the properties and they are not just limited to temporary exhibitions. This commitment for contemporary art is a wonderful opportunity for women and men working in the vineyards, distillery and cellars as they are invited to be part of the production of the works and thus to collaborate with the artists.”
Famille Lesgourgues Château Haut Selve Graves Blanc 2019 delivers a medium-bodied, soft and full-in-the-mouth, easy drinking blend of sauvignon blanc, sémillon, and sauvignon gris. Definitely more reserved, less acidic than a pure sauv blanc play, the blending grapes and six months in oak in oak produces a distinctive, seductive wine.
Pair with lean fish; shellfish; pork; chicken; appetizers and snacks—charcuterie board; vegetarian fare. Pairs more like a lightly oaked chardonnay than a tongue-cutting sauv blanc. Cheese—young goat cheese; gruyere; camembert, gouda, havarti; artisanal cheeses in general. $23-28
