In the heart of Barsac, better known for its sweet wines, Hervé Dubourdieu makes one of the Gironde's most quietly compelling dry whites. His easy charm masks a ferocious perfectionism, and the result is a Bordeaux Blanc that drinks with the texture and length of a far pricier bottle.
Backstory
The Dubourdieu family has farmed around Barsac since 1890. Hervé Dubourdieu inherited Château Roûmieu-Lacoste through his mother's side and today leads several family estates under the Vignobles Hervé Dubourdieu et Fils banner, including Château Graville-Lacoste in the Graves and Château Ducasse for Bordeaux Blanc.
The Region
Château Ducasse sits southeast of the city of Bordeaux near Barsac, in the Sauternes and Graves corner of the right region for white wine. The dry whites here trade botrytis sweetness for freshness and cut.
Vineyards and Farming
The roughly 13 hectares grow on complex clay and limestone soils over fissured rock. The vines average 35 years of age, old enough to dig deep and concentrate. Farming follows lutte raisonnée, a restrained approach that keeps treatments to a minimum.
Winemaking
The wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel for around six months, with no oak. That choice preserves aromatics and tension while letting the fruit speak. Alcohol typically lands near 12 percent.
The Wines
The flagship Bordeaux Blanc is built around Semillon, usually about 70 percent, rounded out with Sauvignon Blanc. Dubourdieu prizes Semillon for the weight and texture it brings, qualities Sauvignon Blanc cannot deliver alone. The wine is fresh and mineral in youth yet has the stuffing to develop in bottle.
