Your favorite White Bordeaux - Still an Incredible Value
Here is a sure thing: we’ve always known that great, unique, and affordable wine, made by dedicated family farmers is out there. Our mission has always been, and will always be, to find it, build a relationship with the individuals who make it, and bring it around the world to you at a price you can afford to enjoy on a regular basis. And while these misguided tariffs do shift that equation to a degree, our mission remains the same--we're wine importers. So for now, importing wine is what we're going to continue to do.
Rather than let the moment seize us, this past month we got busy and decided to seize the moment to bring you a new stock of wines for the summer.
One of the first emails I sent off was a brief note to brothers David and Laurent Siozard, of Château du Claouset in Bordeaux. This is where fostering relationships is so important. Within a few hours, David had responded:
“Happy to help you take advantage of the moment. We can have the order ready for you next week.”
Now that’s what it means to have meet these guys face-to-face, shake their hands, walk in their vineyards alongside them, and share a meal. David and Laurent, like so most in the Bordeaux wine trade, are savvy businessmen. But like us, they are also a “small guy”, and understands what we’re facing. It also means that they're agile, and can make things happen quickly when needed. It’s nice to know guys like this when you need to make things happen.
Claouset Bordeaux Blanc is one of the first whites we import each year from the prior vintage and chilling a bottle down and drinking it in the fresh air of spring is always an anticipated moment. This wine has become one of our most popular, value-priced whites, and our allocation routinely gets gobbled up in a flash. And its no wonder. The wine is a fine example of the refreshing and balanced quality when a producer gets white Bordeaux right. How do they do it? Attentiveness and intention, for starters; the Siozard brothers farm this 5 hectare plot of white grapes organically—something that is not easy to do in Bordeaux, and certainly goes against the grain of the established industry. It's unusual too, with the addition of hard-to-find Sauvignon Gris. And in the land of “Investment Grade” wine, you can still have this for less than $15 a bottle (by the case).
• Château du Claouset Bordeaux Blanc 2024 •
White Bordeaux is mine-field. It’s easy to find an ocean of bland, watered-down plonk, or be faced with triple–digit prices for a “name brand” chateau. But Chateau du Claouset hits that sweet spot—distinctive and compelling, but wont upset your budget.
60% Sauvignon Blanc & Gris , 35% Sémillon, 5% Muscadelle
Organically farmed grapes
Made entirely in stainless steel to preserve the gorgeous green-gold color and fresh aromas
Citrus blossom, and a whiff of salt air on the nose, with lemon, pineapple, white fruits and finishes with honeyed intensity
This one is perfect when chilled down and served cold. Keep one always at the ready to enjoy with a salad, summer vegetables on the grill, or as a delicious aperitif while preparing the meal.