Tasting notes

2012

The color is pale yellow with green highlights. Clean and intense grilled aromas, citrus fruit and lime compose a complex and fresh palette for the nose. In the mouth the wine is round, smooth and voluminous, with a supple and lively foundation complemented by fine richness and good acidity. The finish is long, with exotic fruit like pineapple and passion fruit, floral notes which enhance its persistence, and a salty tang. With time, white Monbousquet sheds its dominant oak to gain in purity.

2011

This still-young vintage shows a pale golden color with silver highlights. Aromas of peach, nectarine and summer fruit display all the finesse of ripe, fresh Sauvignon. First impressions in the mouth are elegant, not excessively rich; the mid-palate is round, supported by good acidity. A balanced, generous sensation recalls juicy, honey-sweet summer fruit, with really good volume concluding in a lovely, lively finish that is complex and flavorful. This is a beautiful white wine, whose bravura expression of Sauvignon reminds us that reds and whites can have different great vintages. Aeration is advised. Serve with fine seafood like langoustines, Aquitaine caviar, or bass filet with a sauce of oysters and Provencal olive oil.

2010

Limpid and bright golden color with green highlights. A fine aromatic range of grilled, exotic fruit and dried citrus aromas creates a truly complex and varied fragrance. Oak aging underscores the aromatic finesse of beautifully ripe and generous Sauvignon. The wine envelopes the palate; its good acidity augments the wine’s flavorful and delicious character. This is fine Saint-Emilion Sauvignon, showing the oak aging which has become Monbousquet’s hallmark. Give the wine at least another two to five years; for earlier drinking pair with grilled fish—sole or bass—served with an acidic reduction. Fresh goat cheeses with lemon-peel chutney is also ideal.

2009

The intense yellow-straw color and green highlights are brilliant and limpid. The nose is very open with Sauvignon’s floral, fresh citrus aromas; vegetal notes of fresh grass, sap and menthol are also present. Pronounced mature fruit is evident as is the wine’s oak aging.This white Monbousquet is round, smooth and quite opulent. The mid-palate is rich and textured, showing good acidity without the excesses of other cooler vintages; there’s good length with a creamy finish. Serve at slightly lower temperatures than other vintages to enhance the wine’s freshness. White meats are a perfect match, like braised sweetbreads with parmesan, veal filet with chanterelles, or turbot with sauce Maltaise.

2008

An attractive color of deep, brilliant gold. Signs of oak aging impart an exotic style complemented by crisp fruit such as citrus preserves and pomelos. In the mouth the vintage is expressed with great roundness and generosity—fleshy, with good acidity, depth and freshness. The wine is finely elegant and well-balanced with a sun-kissed smoothness; rich and lush oak aging bring creamy notes to the finish. Ready to drink now with white meats prepared with citrus preserves, or firm, light-fleshed fish.

2007

What a beautiful, brilliant golden color! The aromas are a beautifully rich, complex palette of very ripe and exotic fruit—pineapple and passion fruit—with a floral note of Sauvignon. In the mouth the wine is ample, full-bodied and round, supported by a good degree of acidity and the fine elegance of oak. The mouthwatering finish shows attractive length, with buttery notes complemented by peach aromas giving the wine great distinction. This is a wine to drink now with fish dishes using oriental spices like curry and saffron to combine exotic sweet and sour flavors.

2006

The idea of planting white grape varieties in a terroir renowned for red wines is unexpected, to say the least. This “Bordeaux blanc” has a very beautiful golden-yellow color with brilliant highlights. On the nose, initial impressions show a fine and complex aromatic palette; its buttery character is complemented by exotic fruit, verbena, and orange-peel citrus notes to produce a veritable olfactive feast. The wine’s buttery style continues to a finish that is impressively long. Winemaking experience from earlier vintages has contributed to the wine’s ability to age well, with an ample, palate-coating body and precisely controlled acidity. This very fine white wine now displays less wood influence and more of the wine’s own personality. Fine fish like bass, turbot and sole are perfect matches, as are crayfish and lobster. The wine has an interesting potential for further aging, and other aromatic pleasures will certainly emerge over the next five to eight years.

2005

This wine made from Sauvignon Blanc and Gris demonstrates Saint-Emilion’s potential for great white winemaking. The key is in understanding the terroir to achieve the mineral expression fundamental to a complex white wine. The wine’s golden-yellow color is brilliant and limpid. Aromatic intensity is expressed through fresh citrus peel, lime, lemon, and passion fruit—a remarkable complexity that is in constant evolution as the wine continues to breathe. The wine’s attack is fresh and full, with richness balanced by an acidity of fine structure and quality. The mid-palate is smooth, showing great volume. Although oak is present, it has become well-incorporated by reducing the excessive barrel aging of previous vintages. This change from the formerly massive style is most welcome. This is a lively wine showing fine mineral character and a good, long finish that is mouthwatering and flavorful—it is the type of wine which makes you want another glass. The 2005 vintage is well-known for its red wines, but the whites offer immense pleasure, too. The wine shines with a meal of Brittany shrimp, roast crayfish, lobster salad, or filet of bass with oysters. Another good choice would be roast poultry with winter mushrooms. And don’t forget the goat cheese.

2003

Beautiful, attractive golden-yellow colour. Very pleasant bouquet with overtones of peach, nectarine, and well-integrated, toasty oak. This 2003 Monbousquet blanc starts out quite straightforward on the palate with beautifully smooth, non-aggressive acidity. The middle palate is round and suave. Some caramel and sun-dried fruit (apricot) flavours. The usual varietal character of Sauvignon Blanc was somewhat altered by this sunny vintage. The touch of hotness on the finish can be softened by serving at a temperature of 8-10° C.
This white wine is rich and creamy on the palate, coating the mouth with a long, delicious aftertaste. It is ready to drink, and makes a marvellous accompaniment to delicately-flavoured fish such as sea bass and turbot, as well as goat's cheeses and roast poultry.

2002

Bright, brilliant golden yellow colour. The Sauvignon Blanc varietal character and aromas come through markedly: citrus peel, nectarine, peach, with more subtle overtones of oak in the background. Round, suave, and perfectly balanced on the palate thanks to excellent acidity, which also gives considerable character to this wine. The aftertaste is long and delicious. Thanks to considerable body, 2002 Monbousquet blanc can keep and improve for 3-5 more years, during which time the youthful oaky influence will be reduced. A treat with white fish, sole, sea bass, poultry in a cream sauce, and seafood (scampi, lobster, etc.).

2001

This is one of the great vintages for Monbousquet blanc. The colour is already a deep, intense golden-yellow. The nose is very complex with a blend of Sauvignon Blanc varietal aromas (grapefruit, citrus) and overtones of butter, ointment, and caramel that come from oak ageing. This rich, opulent wine is straightforward, round, and full-bodied on the palate with a marked acidity that gives backbone. Very good length with extremely precise, seductive flavours. The barrel ageing of this wine was just right. It can last for at least another 3-5 years and is a treat with refined fish such as turbot and sole, as well as lobster and white meats.