2018 Chantegrive Blanc Cuvee Caroline
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Tasting notes
Bottle weight empty 490 g. The top white cuvée from Chantegrive. 50% Sémillon, 50% Sauvignon Blanc, suitable for vegans. Alcoholic fermentation in barrel and aged 9 months on lees with 50% new wood and 50% one-year-old barrels. Lees stirring thrice per week. Total SO 2 96 mg/l, free SO 2 28 mg/l. Slightly vegetal on the nose. Big, full-bodied, dry and powerful. The warm sample does not flatter it. Second tasting from a cooler sample: much better, fresher, still big and rich but better balanced. But it is a bit fat and a bit heavy for my taste. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Composed of 50% Sémillon, 45% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Sauvignon Gris, the 2018 Cuvee Caroline offers uncomplicated notes of fresh yellow apples, ripe Bosc pears and lemongrass with a touch of straw. The medium-bodied palate delivers good weight and intensity with a toasty suggestion of new oak complementing the apple and pear flavors, finishing with satisfying length.
The 2018 Chantegrive Cuvée Caroline has an attractive if straightforward nose of red apple and touches of praline and vanilla, all nicely defined. The palate is creamy in texture on the entry, very smooth and quite seductive, even if it lacks some complexity on the finish. Still, the sweetness will please a lot of white Bordeaux lovers.