In the previous post I gave you some extra information about the new red grape varieties of Bordeaux, now I am going to do the same but with the new white grapes.
These varieties were already passed at the General Assembly of winemakers vote last week, where they have been accepted but still the national appellation authority (INAO) has to give the final approval with the French government . With the approval, they can start to plant for the 2021/2022 vintage.
So let’s see the three new white grapes of Bordeuax!
Alvarinho in Portugal or Albarino in Spain is a well known grape variety. It has already given us many wines from the Rias Baixas DO in Spain, with citrusy, peachy and mineral character. In Portugal, the most famous wine made from this grape is Vinho Verde. Originated in Galicia, it has high acidity and can produce light, refeshing style or more complex and rich wines with oak and lees aging. Very versatile grape I am really looking forward to see what it is going to give in Bordeaux.
Petit Manseng is a white grape variety produces the highest quality wine of any grape in the Manseng family. It got his name from their small berries and low yields, and usually makes late harvest wines instead of botrytised. Mainly planted in the South-West of France in Jurancon and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and now getting more popular in the United States and Australia. Most likely you can find it in wines blended with Gros Manseng but Petit Manseng gives high acidity, stone fruit, citrus and sweet spice character to the wine.
Liliorila is a variety created by Pierre Marcel Durquety in Bordeaux in 1956. It is a cross between Baroque and Chardonnay and there is only a few hectares planted in the South of France. It produces a wine with good body and structure with intense fruity aromas altough medium acidity and 10-11,5% alcohol. It is a grape for sweet botrytised wine making.
Maybe with the new grapes and the climat change, we are going to have more sweet wines from Bordeaux? Who knows but with these varieties it is a possibility.
What do you expect as a change on the Bordeaux wine scene?
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are these grapes being blended with Bordeaux white or separate ?
Yes, they can blend them up to 10% but no more, and planted only 5% of their vineyards.