Château Carbonnieux Pessac-Léognan Blanc (2019)

After two difficult-to-produce vintages, 2019 ended the decade on a remarkable note. A homogeneous bud burst, a regular growth of the vines, an ideal course of flowering, followed by drought at the beginning of summer spared the vineyard from sanitary deterioration. At the beginning of August, the rains arrived in time for the veraison to benefit by taking place under the best auspices, then the sun resumed its rights until the end of harvest.

The wonderful ripening conditions in 2019 produced very aromatic grapes. The style of a great year is well and truly there, the attack is powerful, very round with a dense mid-palate and a fine smooth finish. The acidity brings freshness, revealing all the finesse and elegance of this wine.

Blending: 65% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Semillon

Serve this wine with a dish of raw or cooked fish, foie gras, white meat, cheese, or fruit desserts.

Tasting Notes

94 Wine Enthusiast
The estate is noted for white wine, and this latest release lives up to the reputation. This textured, mainly Sauvignon Blanc wine has tight acidity set against wood aging and ripe citrus and white fruit flavors. Drink the wine from 2024. Cellar Selection

93 James Suckling
Dried lemon, beeswax, sage, pineapple and guava on the nose. Medium-bodied with tangy acidity. Vibrant citrus and tropical fruit. Compact, creamy and intense. 65% sauvignon blanc and 35% semillon. Drink now or hold.

93 Decanter
A great Carbonnieux, with careful balance of juicy, salt-edged minerality and creamy nectarine and apricot fruits. Always a real highlight of the whites of the appellation and delivering another hit in 2019. Barrel Sample: 93

91 Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Château Carbonnieux Blanc is another solid white in the vintage. Subtle lime, chalky mineral, and some minty, floral notes define the bouquet, and it's medium-bodied, lightly textured, and balanced, with bright acidity and a clean, lengthy finish.

91 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Carbonnieux Blanc has turned out very nicely, offering up aromas of citrus oil, pear, fresh herbs, clear honey and crisp stone fruit, followed by a medium-bodied, elegantly satiny and incisive palate that's bright and precise, concluding with a saline finish. Bottled under Diam, this is already showing well in a tangy, Sauvignon-driven style. Best after 2021.

91 Wine Spectator
Has a nice chiseled feel, featuring sea salt, white asparagus and gooseberry notes, with a flash of oyster shell on the finish. This should open up and broaden out with brief cellaring. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now through 2024. 10,333 cases made.