Chateau La Rame Bordeaux Blanc Sec 2020

Situated 40 kilometers southeast of the city of Bordeaux, Chateau La Rame is among the oldest and most renowned properties in the Sainte Croix du Mont appellation. The appellation itself is just across the Gironde river from Barsac and Sauternes and heralded for their noble rot touched semillon…”poor man’s” Sauternes as they refer to the appellation. With all the focus on the sweet stuff, everyday drinkers can find a ton of value with the dry whites and reds that producers like La Rame makes to keep the lights on. The vineyards for this lovely red are at the base of the hillside vineyards of the estate in the village of Sainte Croix du Mont and are composed of sand, limestone and clay.

This 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Château La Rame is a new favorite by-the-glass selection at Revel. Just under 9 acres of vineyards are planted on clay/limestone soil rich in fossilized oysters. The hand-harvested grapes are destemmed before fermenting with native yeast in stainless-steel tanks. The naturally high acidity of the Sauvignon Blanc grapes blocks malolactic fermentation. The wine ages on the lees between 3 to 6 months in stainless steel after fermentation and is fined and filtered before bottling. It is bright and clean with aromas and flavors of limes, grapefruit and granny smith apples. Although it has plenty of acidity, there is a roundness to the wine that is a hallmark of Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux as compared to those from the Loire Valley or New Zealand.