Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes 2013 - 1er Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Refined elegance and power in perfect harmony, offering exceptional value for money. 2023–2043

About the estate:

The château has been owned by the state since 1909 and is home to a vocational school specializing in agriculture and viticulture. The Republic’s viticulture school thus cares for its most precious gem, and its renewed technical team has further refined the winemaking process, producing wines that help explain why, in 1855, this vintage topped the list of First Growths. If you have the opportunity, ask to taste the exclusive Muscadelle cuvée, with its strange and magnificent aroma.

Decanter

About the wine:

Founded by Jean St-Marc du Latourblanche, the estate was donated to the French government in 1909 on the condition that a wine school be established there. This marked the birth of the La Tour Blanche School of Viticulture and Oenology. The estate covers approximately 40 hectares, planted mainly with Sémillon (83%), supplemented by Sauvignon Blanc (12%) and Muscadelle (5%). La Tour Blanche wines are renowned for their great richness and smoothness. Stephen Brook: A delicate nose of apricot, with great fruit purity and well-integrated oak. Lively and precise, very sweet, yet with balanced acidity that gives it surprising liveliness. It is not a particularly voluptuous style, and the fruit is slightly candied, but it is an elegant and delicious wine. Sebastian Payne MW: A Sauternes with understated confidence and a lovely creaminess on the palate. A fairly understated wine, but with good aging potential and immense pleasure. Xavier Rousset MS: Elegant, with very refined fruit and a lovely structure. The oak is perfectly controlled, which is evident in the long and complex finish. Truly very pleasant. 2016–2040

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

Behind a striking straw-yellow color with green highlights, the delicate, airy bouquet unfolds with fresh notes of white fruit (white peach, pear), citrus, and stewed apricot. This exuberant and complex fruitiness, consistently marked by candied pear and apricot, unfolds with intensity and elegance on a full-bodied and remarkably balanced palate, invigorated by a long, fresh finish. All the harmony and distinction of the great Sauternes.

About the estate:

One might think that the name of the vineyard comes from the white tower (actually a former dovecote) located on the estate. In reality, it derives from the name of a former owner, Monsieur de Latourblanche, who served as treasurer-general to Louis XVI. Bequeathed to the state in 1909 by the patron Daniel Iffla, known as Osiris, this classified growth is also a viticultural high school, where future professionals find an excellent learning environment (42 hectares of vineyards) to master the intricacies of Botrytis cinerea. At the helm of the winery is Philippe Pelicano.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

A delicate nose and a lovely tangy quality. A pleasant liveliness despite the sweetness. The wine develops a hint of mandarin. It is refined and long-lasting, with a subtle hint of flint.

About the estate:

This Premier Cru Classé from Bommes, which was donated to the French government by its former owner, Daniel Iffa, in 1911, is now managed by the Aquitaine Regional Council. Having been converted into a viticulture school, the château has trained such notable figures as oenologist Michel Rolland and winemaker Mark Angeli. For the past twenty years, La Tour Blanche has consistently produced accomplished, harmonious Sauternes with noble bouquets. Their very high residual sugar content does not make them heavy, as on this terroir, noble rot concentrates the sugars while preserving a light, airy palate. The estate has been managed by Miguel Aguirre since 2016; under his leadership, it has officially transitioned to organic viticulture (with the first certified wines expected in 2023). Philippe Pélicano, a former student of the local high school, is in charge of winemaking.

Le Figaro vins

About the wine:

The color is straw-yellow, and the nose is quite austere. The palate is dense and fairly tight, with good length and a lovely mouthfeel. A fine achievement for La Tour Blanche in its easily recognizable style.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Golden yellow. Complex bouquet, slightly reduced. Notes of toast, spices, and dried herbs (thyme). Pleasant, precise, and dense on the palate. The wine is creamy, with a structure and a hint of bitterness that provide a solid foundation. A great wine that isn’t quite ready to reveal its full potential yet, but which promises a bright future. Wait. 2023–2053