Expensive wine 107: L’Enclos de Carbonnieux Blanc 2020

When it’s worth paying more than $10 for white Bordeaux

One of the most difficult parts of this job is not letting my prejudices and preconceptions about wines and wine styles that I don’t like get in the way of an honest assessment of what I taste. I do a decent job of that for merlot, but not as good for rose (or, as one tasting note for a $30 French pink said, “No, this isn’t three times better than the Bieler.”)

Hence, my biggest problem with this wine is that I was hamstrung by the idea that white Bordeaux doesn’t need to cost more than $10 (save for Chateau d’Yquem, of course). Which, if I had allowed that attitude to get in the way, would have meant I missed a fine wine.

Because the L’Enclos de Carbonnieux Blanc 2020 ($26, purchased, 13%) is a fine wine and well worth drinking: “Classic white Bordeaux — green, flinty, a bit of richness from the semillon,” said my tasting notes.

So, yes, it’s probably twice as good as the $10 or $12 white blends from that region in France that I drink all the time. It’s certainly more complex; there’s a lot more going on than the one-note citrus that so many $10 and $12 and even $15 white Bordeaux opt for these days. That means some herbal notes, as well as an almost chalky minerality.

It’s also worth noting that this is the second label from a top white Bordeaux producer, Chateau Carbonnieux, whose wines run around $50. Which, in the way wine works today, makes the L’Enclos a value.

Highly recommended; break out the poulet roti, or, if you’re feeling Hemingway-esque, chilled oysters.

Imported by Misa Imports