Tasting Notes

Mary Taylor sources lots of wines from particular wine appellations around the world in order to showcase good production from small growers who don't have the resources to bottle their own wines. This Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon blend is a full-weight, lightly tropical and zesty version of these varieties. 

Chalky, breezy, cool, zesty white that rolls around the glass with ample viscosity. Stony and minerally with good depth of fruit, citrus and length. Winemaker Jean Marc Barthez offers us a brilliant Sauvignon Blanc that lives a world away from the "usual" varietal expression of New Zealand.  A Mary Taylor White Label Series wine, chosen for its sense of place and showcasing the appellation's essence. 

Winery Notes

Better known for red wine, the region of Bordeaux still manages to produce nearly seven million cases of white wine annually, which can be every bit as distinctive as its iconic reds. Geographically, the epicenter of the area’s dry white production lies in the Entre-Deux-Mers (“between the two tides”) sub-region, situated between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. The area’s gravel-rich soils make it ideal for growing crisp, racy, mineral-driven whites that represent a completely unique expression of the popular Sauvignon Blanc grape.

The best examples—such as this one from artisan winemaker Jean Marc Barthez, who serves as president of a small cooperative winery in the ancient village of Monségur—will overturn everything you’ve come to expect from the usual lineup of “varietal” Sauvignon Blanc from Chile or New Zealand. Sourced from vineyards that surround the winery and fermented without oak to preserve the underlying expression of its classic terroir, this is Sauvignon Blanc as channeled through the unique prism of Bordeaux. With its cleansing acidity and flavors of citrus and melon, it possesses the deeper texture, elegance, and richness of body that are the region’s hallmarks.

According to Jean Marc, part of that depth also results from the small touch of Sémillon (the region’s “other” white grape) he includes in the blend, which imparts a certain “je ne sais quoi” that immediately conjures white Bordeaux. A quintessential oyster wine, according to Mary it has all the necessary structure to stand up to richer fish and shellfish dishes like pan-seared trout or broiled lobster.

Blend: 95% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon