This Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is one of the most ambitious Sauvignon Blanc wines in the country. Barrel fermented, matured in old oak for 8 months with full lees stirring. This is Xavier Bizot & Lucy Croser’s Bordeaux blanc play and it’s very serious.
The only problem is that it’s not ready. It’s years away from being ready. Tight, grippy, a little sullen (but not angry) with the barest hint of passionfruit. The finish is beyond firm – it is stark, but equally long too. Not ready, come back later is the message here, but the bones are there for some long term development.
Best drinking: I’d wait for three to four years. Seriously. This will be alive in a decade. 17.5/20, 91/100+. 13.1%, $50. Terre à Terre website. Would I buy it? Later.
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2 Comments
Most interesting Andrew, a Sauvignon Blanc that is “not ready”. I’ve had ones that can age, will age, and has aged, but not one that isn’t ready. It’s almost a mind bender. I’ve had some white Bordeaux but they’ve been most drinkable in their youth but perhaps they weren’t serious enough. I tend to ignore or pass over Sauvignon Blanc but your post has me reconsidering.
I’ve been lucky to try many vintages of this wine young and old now and I think it needs at least 2-3 years post bottling to be in a good drinking zone. More acidic Chardonnay than traditional, anearobically produced aromatic Sauv.