11 May Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Pairing White Bordeaux Wines with Lunch

When most people think of Bordeaux wines, they think of red wines. White wines from Bordeaux are often overshadowed by their more famous red counterparts which make up 85% of the total production in the region. But the white wines of Bordeaux offer a range in style from crisp and zesty to rich and full-bodied. They can be sparkling, dry, or offer varying levels of sweetness. And no matter the style, they are versatile when pairing them with food, as I discovered at lunch this week. That is why Pairing White Bordeaux Wines with Lunch is the Please The Palate pick of the week.

Bordeaux white wines are typically blends made from a combination of traditional grape varieties. The primary grapes used are Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle. Sauvignon Blanc contributes freshness, acidity, and aromatic intensity, while Sémillon adds body, richness, and complexity. Muscadelle is often used in smaller quantities to enhance aromatic qualities. In recent years, Bordeaux has been gradually allowing the use of additional grape varieties, primarily in response to changing climate conditions. Some of the newer grape varieties permitted in Bordeaux include Albariño, Sauvignon Gris (a mutation of Sauvignon Blanc), and Liliorila (a hybrid grape variety created by crossing Baroque and Chardonnay). Sauvignon Gris adds a bit more body and texture than Sauvignon Blanc and can add complexity to Bordeaux blends. Liliorila was developed specifically for cultivation in the Southwest of France and is prized for its resistance to disease and its ability to produce aromatic, flavorful white wines.

The sweetness in Bordeaux white wines is from botrytis, or noble rot. Noble rot is a beneficial fungus that infects grapes under specific weather conditions. The grapes partially dehydrate and concentrate sugars and flavors while maintaining high acidity.

For our White Bordeaux Wines with lunch, we paired white wines with different sweetness levels with a four course lunch from Esters Wine Bar in Santa Monica and it was quite an eye-opening experience.

FLIGHT 1: Oysters with seasonal mignonette

Paired with:

Chateau Garbes Cabanieu, Cremant de Bordeaux NV (100% Semillon, 15 months sur lie)

Chateau Laroque Thomas, Bordeaux Blanc 2023 (60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon)

Chateau La Hargue, Bordeaux 2023 (37% Sauvignon Blanc, 33%Semillon + Muscadelle, Sauvignon Gris, 25 g/L RS [residual sugar])

The first flight included a dry sparkling wine, a dry white wine, and a wine with a little bit of sweetness. Enjoying the oyster on its own, with no mignonette, I liked the dry Chateau Laroque Thomas, Bordeaux Blanc 2023. The wine is crisp and fresh with a saline finish that paired with the salinity of the oyster. But with the mignonette, which was sweet and tart, I enjoyed it with the Chateau Garbes Cabanieu, Cremant de Bordeaux NV as it brought out the fruit flavors of the sparkling wine and made the finish linger. I especially enjoyed the oyster with mignonette with the semi-sweet Chateau La Hargue, Bordeaux 2023. The sweetness of the wine balanced the tartness of the mignonette and it was a harmonious pairing.

FLIGHT 2: Market Salad with Asian vinaigrette

Paired with:

Chateau Perayne, Cotes de Bordeaux Saint Macaire 2016 (100% Semillon, 36 g/L RS)

Chateau Crabitan-Bellevue, Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux 2017 (100% Semillon, 80 g/L RS)

The market salad was topped with an Asian vinaigrette and sweet onions. The viscosity in both wines balanced nicely with the sweetness of the onions and the vinaigrette. It was a surprise to pair wines with residual sugar with a salad but it was a lovely pairing.

FLIGHT 3: Pork Moruno – roasted pork belly, fennel, lemon, parsley, cumin

Paired with:

Chateau Les Marcottes, Sainte Croix du Mont 2019 (90% Semillon, 10% Sauvignon Blanc, 80 g/L RS)

Chateau Garbes Cabanieu, Cadillac 2017 (100% Semillon, 89 g/L RS)

The pork belly had a crunchy, salty crust that balanced with the sweetness of both wines. The residual sugar in the wines made them richer and rounder on the palate and the fat of the pork belly paired with the sweetness of the wines. I particularly enjoyed the Chateau Les Marcottes, Sainte Croix du Mont 2019 with the dish because the 10% of Sauvignon Blanc added a touch of acidity to the Semillon that just made the wine pop a bit more.

FLIGHT 4: Selection of Cheeses

Paired with:

Domaine de Pineau, Cerons 2016 (100% Semillon, 77 g/L RS)

Chateau du Cros, Loupiac 2017 (90% Semillon, 5% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris, 115 g/L RS)

The Domaine de Pineau, Cerons 2016 has notes of stone fruits, citrus, and salinity with a long finish and good acidity. I enjoyed this wine with semi-hard goat cheese. The sweet Chateau du Cros, Loupiac 2017 with notes of lychee and a rich midpalate was a beautiful pairing with the blue cheese.

While we often think of sweet wines (wines with residual sugar) as dessert wines, this lunch showed the versatility of White Bordeaux wines, most with residual sugar, with different dishes. And that is why it is the Please The Palate pick of the week!