Chateau Gillet Bordeaux Blanc

Chateau Gillet Bordeaux Blanc is named for a style built on Sauvignon Blanc, often blended with Sémillon and sometimes a little Muscadelle. The listing gives the producer as Esplanda and the origin as Massachusetts, United States, and no vintage, ABV or grape breakdown is supplied. The notes below describe what wines in this style usually deliver, not a measured profile of this bottle. Expect a dry, medium-bodied white. Sauvignon Blanc-led Bordeaux Blanc typically shows grapefruit, green apple, lemon zest and a touch of cut grass or white currant. Sémillon, when present, adds a waxy, lanolin-like roundness and notes of pear or melon. Acidity is normally the backbone, crisp and clean, with no tannin to speak of. Oak is usually light or absent in the everyday versions, so the finish tends to be bright and moderately long. Some producers use partial barrel fermentation to add a subtle creamy edge. At the table, it suits the foods that suit any crisp, citrus-driven white. That means oysters and raw shellfish, grilled white fish with lemon and butter, mussels in white wine, and goat cheese salads. Fresh herbs such as chives, tarragon and parsley work well with its green notes. Roast chicken and creamy vegetable soups also hold up, since the acidity cuts through richness. Spicy dishes can overwhelm a wine this delicately flavored, so keep heat moderate. Serve it well chilled, around 8 to 10°C (46 to 50°F), which is about three hours in the refrigerator or thirty minutes in an ice bath. Colder temperatures mute the aromatics, and warmer ones make the acidity feel loose. Decanting isn't needed. A medium-sized tulip-shaped white wine glass concentrates the citrus and herbal aromas without exaggerating alcohol. Wines like this are generally made to be drunk young and fresh, within a couple of years of release, rather than cellared.