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Château La Louvière White
Château La Louvière has long been famous for its white wines. In fact, these already highly-prized by Canadian merchants in the 17th century ! A century later, they were to be found on the finest tables in Russia.The very elegant white La Louvière is now among the finest dry white wines in the Graves, and is a fine ambassador for the Pessac-Léognan appellation. Marked by the Sauvignon Blanc varietal character, but not overly so, it can age remarkably well.
Wine style
Fresh and Fruity
Grape blend
Sauvignon blanc 90% / Sémillon 10%.
Weather
Temperatures were much higher than average from February to June, with much less rainfall than usual. There were already signs of drought at the end of Spring.
Tasting Comment
Appareance
The 2011 vintage will long be remembered as one of the most early-maturing in recent years. The unusual weather during the growing season was ideal for ripening. The wine is brilliant, with beautiful golden highlights.
Nose
The bouquet is very intense and complex with vine flower, lemon and grapefruit aromas typical of a young Pessac-Léognan.
Mouth
Full-bodied and rich on the palate, the wine also shows understated oak that will undoubtedly integrate in the coming months with the naturally smoky characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc (90%) and Sémillon (10%) grown on gravelly soil. The long aftertaste goes beautifully with lobster as well as sheep's cheese from the Pyrenees. This wine will age very well, and will have some excellent surprises in store for us in ten or fifteen years.
Ratings and reviews
A nose of lemon sweets and tropical fruit. Very fresh on the palate with good length. A successful, fun sort of wine. 2015-2022.
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2014 Edition - "Classy!" Our jury especially liked this 2011, which is hardly surprising. La Louvière's white wines often rate two stars in our guide. As with all of André Lurton's white wines, Sauvignon Blanc predominates: 85% for this wine. The intense, concentrated bouquet is reminiscent of candied citrus with a touch of vanilla. Smooth, full-bodied and generous, the wine is perfectly balanced on the palate and virtually explodes into a powerful lemony finish. A model of elegance.
Everything's here: charm, elegance and balance! Rich fruit, polished minerality, subtle oak, and a long fresh aftertaste.
Precise, clean nose, lots of tautness but not much charm, will need aging for good long while.
The initial impression on the nose is oaky and lacking in precision. On aeration, everything comes into focus with an attractive freshness. The palate starts out with a lovely, smooth roundness. Good length, with rich, mineral overtones. Superb aftertaste.
An intensely herbaceous wine, with delicious flavors of grapefruit, apricot juice and spice. The finish is lively and fruity, with mineral acidity. (Roger Voss)
A delightful fresh, sweet nose, shows precision and softness. Easy-drinking, doesn't crush the fruit with oak but lets it rip, vivacious and intense, in the glass.
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Wooded nose, its fruitiness is a bit set back. The mouth offers at the same time an ample volume, generous and a very present acid weft. A dynamic finale, very fresh and pure.
Good color from the 15% Sémillon, while the nose is markedly oaky. Creamy smooth and wickedly seductive, will intensify thanks to 10 months aging in barrel (30% new oak).
Nice lime and briny aromas.The palate is quite refined, with subtle lemon meringue richness and fine salinity. Pleasure on the mid palate to be sure, if perhaps just a tad warm on the finish, but overall, this is excellent white Graves. Make it a two-for-two for this fine estate!
Offers lots of crunchy honeysuckle, Meyer lemon and grapefruit pulp notes, with a backdrop of straw and salted butter that should fill in with more time. Rock-solid.(James Molesworth)
Pale cloudy straw. Rich aromas of citrus and pineapple and a bit cedary. Lots of spice too. Sour grapefruit tension on the palate. Intense but not powerful in flavour. Perhaps a touch lean overall though it's pretty long. A bit eye-watering on the finish. (Julia Harding)
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Lemon yellow, very direct Sauvignon fruit, a little flesh from Sémillon, very good structure and very good length. A classic Pessac-Léognan. Drink 2014-2020.
85% sauvignon blanc, 15% semillon. Fermented in vat, then aged for 10 months in a mix of one-third each of new, one-year and two-year old oak. Planted on mixed gravel and silica soils atop limestone sub- soil. An almost honeyed character to the nose, with rich waxy citrus and grapefruit rind aromas. This is mineral-driven, with a round texture, and grapefruit and passion fruit flavors, before finishing with good length. Should drink nicely for the next 5-10 years. (Geoffrey Binder)
Consumption period
2013 - 2021
Our suggestions
Starters
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White meats
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Fish and Shellfish
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Cheese |
Salads |
Ground
Surface
15.00 ha
Soil
Deep gravel with fine limestone over small areas at the foot of the slopes.
Winemaking
Grape harvest
By hand in several passes
Others
Graft stock
41B-Fercal
Plant food
Traditional, limited impact
Plant density
6,500 to 8,500 vines per hectare
Wine average age
26 years old
Grape variety
Sauvignon blanc
Pruning type
Double guyot
Fermentation
After settling, in oak barrels
Fermentation temperature
18 to 23 °C
Malolactic
No
Wine maturing
For 10 months in oak barrels (30% new) on full lees with bâtonnage
Wine montage
Tartaric precipitation by cold treatment
Maturing potential
Very expressive between 3 and 5 years old, can age 10 to 20 years
Cellar master
Oenologist consultant
Denis DUBOURDIEU (Professor at the Institut d'Œnologie of Bordeaux) and Valérie LAVIGNE.
Recipes
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