Château La Tour Blanche 2024

On the nose, tea blossoms, lilies, honey, bitter orange, candied citrus and a peppery spice; highly elegant on the palate, dancingly light yet powerful and precise, immensely tense, long-lasting and fresh, echoing with dried apricot. A safe bet.

Bright yellow-gold in colour, this expressive 2024 vintage opens with floral aromas of jasmine and citrus zest, layered with subtle spice. The palate is juicy and rounded, with moderate acidity balanced by a vibrant freshness and precision. 133g/l residual sugar.

Apricots, honey, burnt sugar, banana, and tangerine skins fill the perfume. The palate is edgy, fresh, and on the orange side of the style range, with a touch of pineapple that comes in at the end of the finish. The wine blends 85% Semillon, 10% Sauvignon Blanc, and 5% Muscadelle. Drink from 2027-2039. 89-91 Pts

Liquid gold: the colour shines brightly, the nose tells of fresh, indulgent exotic fruits, and the overall sensation radiates with luminosity. Notes of yellow fruits (mirabelle plum, apricot), ripe apple, roasted pineapple, sweet spices and flowers add complexity. This brightness reappears on the palate in a scintillating texture, like dew on botrytised berries. The freshness of the texture brings a fourth dimension to the wine and makes you happy for a while, as the finish is long and persistent, saline and refined, with notes of fresh pineapple. A delight!

The nose shows power, intensity and a certain depth. It reveals notes of sweet quince, fine hints of concentrated small fruits, with delicate touches of verbena and dried zest, as well as a hint of yuzu and spices. The palate is fruity, fresh, mineral and offers lovely tension. It also shows accuracy, precision, a chiselled, clean and syrupy side, energy, a nice balance and very fine acidity. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of candied kumquat, candied quince and, more slightly, crystallised mandarin, combined with touches of green peach and lime, as well as fine hints of crunchy pineapple, floral touches and lovely mineral notes in the background. Good length. A subtle hint of fresh almond, iodine and discreet hints of creamy vanilla on the finish. A harmonious, melodious wine with a charming, slightly spherical feel to its richness.

Succulent, silky, sweet mango and apricot puree, this is one of the sweeter of the Sauternes in the year but delivers a twist of lime zest freshness alongside the toffee apple and saffron spice, good quality and a ton of pleasure. 6.5 hl/ha yield.

What precision, clarity and depth in the bouquet of La Tour Blanche. The wine reveals a wealth of nuances, with no single dominant note, yet so many subtleties, details and paradoxes. Hints of coconut and acacia blossom mingle with aromas of mint, orange zest, yuzu, celery, thyme and even basil! Creamy on the attack, the wine is lifted by a tonic touch of salinity. It is incisive, vigorous, silky, elegant and perfectly balanced. An exceptional wine that will delight for generations. Our cultural heritage is assured!

La Tour Blanche, Sauternes: the return to glory This is a firm confirmation. The estate has just emerged from a rough patch that had kept it away from my readers since 1997. The 2022 confirmed the score given En Primeur. The 2023 signalled the return of depth. For the third time, the 2024 joins the top tier of the appellation. The price paid is steep: barely 3 hl/ha over two consecutive years. But believe me, the desire to own it, to savour it, has never been stronger. Let’s wager that is where it all begins. Pale yellow colour. Intense nose, fruity and botrytised. A palate that is at once subtle, melting and vibrant, finishing on great sapid length, yet also lively. A progression reminiscent of Tokay. Blend: 80% Sémillon, 15% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Muscadelle. Alcohol: 13.5% - pH: 3.6. Residual sugar: 130 g/L. Yield: 3 hl/ha.