1996 Château de Fieuzal Blanc
Tasting note
A cuvée of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Clear appearance. Deep, golden yellow colour. On the nose matured notes of dried oranges, crème brûlée with caramelized sugar, malty, elderberry. But also a slight freshness with physalis. A medium body. On the palate, an impression of oloroso sherry, lightly oxidized, again physalis and an acidity that does not last too long, but comes across as surprisingly fresh. Passion fruit. A slight bitterness at the end. I was pleasantly surprised by this white wine, which is not only drinkable but sufficiently tasty with food considering its mature age. Still, it has undoubtedly passed the optimal drinking window and is on the decline. Probably must be marked as flawed at this point. No rating to be fair. So, if there are still bottles in the cellar, drink up now.
Tasted by Dominik Müller on Saturday, 14 January 2023.
Wine details
| Vintage: |
1996 Very good vintage in Bordeaux, especially in the Médoc, with a good mix of warm temperatures and occassional rainfall when it was needed. For Pomerol and St. Émilion on the right bank, however, prolonged droughts throughout the summer and heavy concentrated rainstorms in August meant conditions were not as perfect for the Merlot grapes there, although eventually healthy grapes were picked there, too. Some excellent dry whites in Graves and sweet whites in Sauternes (perhaps the best vintage after the excellent 1990). |
| Colour: | white |
| Style: | still (dry) |
| Assemblage: | yes |
| Grape variety: | Sauvignon Blanc |
| For assemblages, the main grape variety is shown. | |
| Producer: | Château de Fieuzal |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Bordeaux |
| Subregion: | Graves |
| Appellation: |
Pessac-Léognan AOC Left bank appellation in Bordeaux forming the northern part of Graves ("Haut-Graves"). Prior to getting its own AOC in 1987, Pessac-Léognan belonged to the broader Graves AOC. The highest-rated Graves châteaux all lie in the Pessac-Léognan AOC. Gravel soils. About 1,750 hectares under vines with three quarters red wine. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for reds, plus Cabernet Franc and Malbec ("Côt"); Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon for whites. Generally fuller-bodied reds compared to the right bank. The age-worthy dry whites are typically fermented in oak barrel. |
| Vineyard: | n/a |
| More details on this wine. | |
| View this wine on CellarTracker. | |
More tasting notes on this wine:
- 26 Jun 2024: 1996 Château de Fieuzal Blanc (flawed)