2001 Fieuzal blanc / 1995 Fieuzal rouge

Hi,

Other than Fieuzal, can there be another classified growth Graves whose white is more expensive than its red?
In the case of Fieuzal, the difference is really significant.

Even white Haut Brion is no more expensive than the red (as far as I know). Like Fieuzal blanc, it too is not classified.

Fieuzal has in the past been a buzz word for claret drinkers looking for value for money rather than glitz, and wines that the critics often underestimate.

My own experience with Fieuzal is somewhat uneven, but today's encounter was very positive.

We had the 2001 with a seafood salad.
Medium-golden color with a lovely nose of lemon, vanilla, (understated) lanolin, and spring flowers. Very classy and traditional. The fruity/floral blend is also found on the palate, along with a long, powerful aftertaste. This tails off into a lovely dry, mineral quality one would hope for in a wine of this stature. I've found Fieuzal blanc seriously overoaked in the past, but either 7 years of ageing or perhaps a different winemaking style in 2001 made all the difference.
I would have no trouble putting this on the same pedestal as a grand cru Burgundy.
A pleasure to drink now, it is still several years away from its peak.

As for the 1995 rouge, which we had with roast lamb, this was looking and tasting older than its age. However, that does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that it was unenjoyable! The bouquet was of earth, black truffle, and lead, and the palate was fully resolved with satisfying tertiary flavors. It lacked only in vivacity and roundness, and the aftertaste is just now starting to dry out. If my bottle is representative, there is no point holding onto this wine any longer. What it may gain in complexity, it will lose in fruit and freshness. On the whole, I preferred this wine's bouquet to its taste.
I recently had the 1995 Pape Clément, and the nose here reminded me of it. However, the Pape Clément is more vigorous.

Insofar as one can compare the white and the red, the former was more original and "better". Still, when one considers the price at which the red is sold, it represents a very good deal for classic Graves (while the Pessac-Léognan appellation may have seceded from the Graves - a silly thing to do, in my humble opinion - the classified growths continue to be known as the Crus Classés des Graves).

Best regards,
Alex R.

Hi, Other than Fieuzal, can there be another classified growth Graves whose white is more expensive than its red?
In the case of Fieuzal, the difference is really significant.

Even white Haut Brion is no more expensive than the red (as far as I know). Like Fieuzal blanc, it too is not classified.

Fieuzal has in the past been a buzz word for claret drinkers looking for value for money rather than glitz, and wines that the critics often underestimate.

My own experience with Fieuzal is somewhat uneven, but today's encounter was very positive.

We had the 2001 with a seafood salad. Medium-golden color with a lovely nose of lemon, vanilla, (understated) lanolin, and spring flowers. Very classy and traditional. The fruity/floral blend is also found on the palate, along with a long, powerful aftertaste. This tails off into a lovely dry, mineral quality one would hope for in a wine of this stature. I've found Fieuzal blanc seriously overoaked in the past, but either 7 years of ageing or perhaps a different winemaking style in 2001 made all the difference.
I would have no trouble putting this on the same pedestal as a grand cru Burgundy. A pleasure to drink now, it is still several years away from its peak.
Best regards,
Alex R.

Alex,

I can't help but wonder what this wine cost "over there". I looked on Wine Seacher and got one hit, and I see the wine is priced at $39.00 per bottle. I suspect that this is a fair price for a wine of this stature and of this age. But I do think it is more than I can drink as my house white.

Other than Fieuzal, can there be another classified growth Graves whose white is more expensive than its red?

Alex, how about Domaine de Chevalier?
/Anders

Yes, Anders, I think you're right.

Like Carbonnieux, whose white was long considered head and shoulders above its red, Domaine de Chevalier has made a major effort of late to close the gap.

Best regards,
Alex R.

My own experience with Fieuzal is somewhat uneven, but today's encounter was very positive.

We had the 2001 with a seafood salad.
Medium-golden color with a lovely nose of lemon, vanilla, (understated) lanolin, and spring flowers. Very classy and traditional. The fruity/floral blend is also found on the palate, along with a long, powerful aftertaste. This tails off into a lovely dry, mineral quality one would hope for in a wine of this stature. I've found Fieuzal blanc seriously overoaked in the past, but either 7 years of ageing or perhaps a different winemaking style in 2001 made all the difference.

nice to know, as i have a bottle of this in slumber. I've had mixed results with Fieuzal blanc as well, with experiences going back to the 1985. I'm more than willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I think in 2001 the oak was lightened and the vintage was very successful. I enjoy white Bordeaux, but the prices of these wines are through-the-roof crazy for me (used to like Pape Clement blanc as well ).

Mark,

If you think the prices are through the roof crazy, try taking a look at fine white Burgundy!

However, it's true, Bordeaux has caught up to some degree. The best whites used to be seriously underpriced.

Best regards,
Alex R.

Since Premox surfaced as an issue, I have stopped buying posh white Burgundy. I haven't heard that white Bordeaux is similarly affected. So, provided they avoid being an oaky mess like Clémentin de Pape-Clément (see my recent post), they are beginning to look almost a bargain??!

i vote for olivier as the underrated white and red of the moment.