Château Carbonnieux
Réserve du Chateau Graves White Bordeaux Blend
Graves, Bordeaux, France
Château Carbonnieux Blanc 2023 – Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé de Graves BDX, France 🇫🇷
Overview
A high-acid driven dry white leaning sharply toward citrus intensity and linearity, built on a Sauvignon Blanc 70% and Sémillon 30% blend. The profile skews more angular than balanced, with tart fruit and brisk tension dominating the palate, limiting overall harmony and textural generosity in this showing.
Aromas & Flavors
Sharp lemon, lime pith, green apple skin, underripe pear, chalk dust, herbal edge, faint saline and restrained oak.
Mouthfeel
Light-to-medium body with piercing acidity, tight structure, minimal mid-palate cushioning, and a brisk, slightly aggressive finish that emphasizes tartness over roundness.
Food Pairings
Raw oysters, ceviche, goat cheese salads, vinaigrette-driven dishes, lean shellfish preparations where acidity can mirror the food.
Verdict
Technically correct but stylistically too severe in this vintage showing, lacking the balance and polish seen in top-tier peers. The acid drive overwhelms texture and complexity, making this less compelling in a premium comparative lineup.
🍷 Personal Pick
This one just doesn’t land for me, too tart, too aggressive, and missing the mid-palate generosity I crave in great Pessac Blanc. After the precision and harmony of Chevalier’s (my preferred benchmark), this feels more like a calibration miss than a contender.
Château Carbonnieux Blanc 2023 – Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé de Graves BDX, France 🇫🇷
Overview
A high-acid driven dry white leaning sharply toward citrus intensity and linearity, built on a Sauvignon Blanc 70% and Sémillon 30% blend. The profile skews more angular than balanced, with tart fruit and brisk tension dominating the palate, limiting overall harmony and textural generosity in this showing.
Aromas & Flavors
Sharp lemon, lime pith, green apple skin, underripe pear, chalk dust, herbal edge, faint saline and restrained oak.
Mouthfeel
Light-to-medium body with piercing acidity, tight structure, minimal mid-palate cushioning, and a brisk, slightly aggressive finish that emphasizes tartness over roundness.
Food Pairings
Raw oysters, ceviche, goat cheese salads, vinaigrette-driven dishes, lean shellfish preparations where acidity can mirror the food.
Verdict
Technically correct but stylistically too severe in this vintage showing, lacking the balance and polish seen in top-tier peers. The acid drive overwhelms texture and complexity, making this less compelling in a premium comparative lineup.
🍷 Personal Pick
This one just doesn’t land for me, too tart, too aggressive, and missing the mid-palate generosity I crave in great Pessac Blanc. After the precision and harmony of Chevalier’s (my preferred benchmark), this feels more like a calibration miss than a contender.