La Lacroix Martillac Blanc 2019 ~ Bordeaux, France

92/100 Wine Spectator
91/100 Wine Enthusiast

Second label of the famous Grand Cru Château Latour-Martillac

Wine Spectator "Pure and refined, with an alluring mouthfeel as gooseberry gelée, white peach, verbena and wet straw notes glide through, all while being supported by embedded fleur de sel and savory threads through the finish. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon."

Wine Enthusiast "Half-and-half Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, this wine is spicy, fruity with herbal and warmer apple flavors. Over the next few months, it will soften and fill out to give a ripe, lightly structured wine."

The winemaker "A wine with very nice length and great finesse. A bright gold colour, with lively and explosive notes of fresh citrus and exotic fruits on the nose. On the palate, the richness of the white grapes and the acid tension supply a superb sophistication. Pure and authentic mineral notes."

Vinous "Bordeaux enjoyed its strongest vintage in a number of years in 2015. The warm, dry summer yielded opulent wines built on intense fruit and voluptuous textures. At their best, the 2015s are spectacularly rich, racy wines loaded with personality." (2015 vintage(

58% Sauvignon Blanc, 42%Sémillon

This wine comes from the vineyards of the well-known Grand Cru Bordeaux property of Château Latour-Martillac, owned by the Kressman family. The wines of Château Latour-Martillac gained widespread attention in 1934, when the red vintage was selected by the Wine and Spirit Benevolent Society of London for the celebration of the coronation of His Majesty King George the VI, King of England in December 1936.

The 6 children of the original owner, Jean Kressmann own the domain and continue with the family tradition of wine-making, assisted by the leading wine consultants in Bordeaux. In the 1980’s, they increased the area planted in Sauvignon Blanc to compliment the Semillon, the historical grape variety of the property.

Pessac-Leognan is a prestigious appellation for wines produced in a particular area of the Bordeaux region of south-western France. A relatively new appellation, it was carved out of the Graves sub-region in 1987 – recognized in its own right on the merits of its high-quality red and white wines. This was a significant change, as many of the chateaux in what is now Pessac-Leognan were the best performers in the Graves Classification of 1959.

Pessac-Leognan’s white wines are made predominantly from Sauvignon Blanc (a required minimum of 25%) and Semillon grapes, and are often matured in oak for greater complexity. These white varieties thrive on the sandier soils of the appellation and produce more age-worthy wines than any other part of the world.

Elsewhere, blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are best consumed within two years of harvest; in contrast, the best white wines of Pessac-Leognan can develop in bottle for well over a decade.