Chateau Carbonnieux Blanc 2020 (WE 95)

Graves

(70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon)

Wine Enthusiast: 95 Points
Barrel Sample. Crisp and tight with fine citrus flavors, the wine is beautifully proportioned with textured, zesty acidity. It shows balance between its structure and its fruits that will only get better as it matures.

James Suckling: 94 Points
An excellent white Carbonnieux with sliced-lemon, lime and mineral character, as well as hints of citrus seeds. It’s medium-to full-bodied with lots of bright acidity and a flavorful finish. Minerally at the end.

Decanter: 93 Points
One of the benchmark wines for white Pessacs, and it has succeeded here. Plenty of curling aromatics out of the glass, a lovely grip and bounce. Good stuff. A yield of 47hl/ha. 25% new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2032.

The 2020 Carbonnieux Blanc, cropped at 47hl/ha and aged in 25% new oak, has a fragrant, well-defined bouquet of Braeburn apples, pear and wild mint, nicely focused and full of vigor. The palate is well balanced with a fine thread of acidity. This is a little taciturn compared to others at this stage, but there is fine mineralité here, and it feels tensile, almost steely on the finish. After a perplexing showing of the 2018 in bottle, this is back to the Carbonnieux Blanc that I know best. Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media.

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