According
to Kermit Lynch, Hervé Dubourdieu “is ... well, wonderful, friendly,
a treat, but he doesn’t get around much, doesn’t play the game and
press the flesh, so to speak, and his wine is never reviewed by the
press because, well, that’s Hervé for you. He wants to be left alone
with his wife, his kids, and his vines.
Dubourdieu’s white Graves is made primarily from Semillon, a richer,
more ample grape than Sauvignon Blanc, which is the more common Bordeaux.
When fully ripe and when vinified correctly, Semillon’s flavors can
be even more subtle and complex than Sauvignon’s, with greater capacity
for aging.
Chateau Graville Lacoste’s gravelly soil includes red, iron-laden
stone, white limestone, and gray silex. It produces an elegant, clean
table wine with aromas of honey, acacia, peach and almond. It is rich
on the palate due to the high percentage of Semillon, but crisp and
dry on the finish.
The property is located closer to Sauternes than Leognan, which may
be why the wine is more honeyed and flattering in its youth. Gravilles,
like Sauternes, is harvested by successive tries to obtain the ripeness
that Semillon demands. Each variety is vinified separately. The wine
is stirred on its lees weekly.
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