Clos Floridene Blanc Sec, Graves AOC

Description

Clos Floridene Blanc Sec is a dry white wine from the Graves wine-making appellation of Bordeaux. It is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and sometimes a little Muscadelle.

Denis Dubourdieu Domaines was established by French winemaker and professor of oenology at the University of Bordeaux, Denis Dubourdieu, and his wife, Florence. Sadly Denis passed away in 2016 but, since then, their sons, Fabrice and Jean-Jacques, now run several estates totalling 135 hectares, in the Sauternes, Graves and Cadillac– Côtes de Bordeaux regions. Their estates include Château Doisy-Daëne, Clos Floridene, Château Reynon, Château Cantegril and Château Haura.

Clos Floridène consists of 40 hectares of vineyards mostly located on the calcareous plateau of Pujols sur Ciron, near Barsac, in the Graves appellation. Originally Clos Floridène was a small enclosed parcel planted with 2 ha of old white vines composed of Sémillon and Muscadelle, along with a wine-grower dwelling, an old cellar and 2 ha of fallow land which was planted, upon the acquisition of the vineyard, with Cabernet Sauvignon. Denis and Florence Dubourdieu began replanting the vineyards in 1982. The vineyard acquired its present-day size through the successive purchase of neighbouring parcels. In 1991, Clos Floridène was significantly enlarged through the addition of Château Montalivet, a 13 ha vineyard. Today there is a 17.3 hectare red vineyard planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and a 22.7 hectare white vineyard planted with 56 % Semillon, 43% Sauvignon and 1% Muscadelle.

In 2004, under Fabrice’s supervision, the construction of Floridène’s new cellar began. Today the family run several estates totalling 135 hectares, in the Sauternes, Graves and Cadillac- Côtes de Bordeaux regions. Traditional ploughing is performed on the soil of our vineyard and no weed-killer is used. Organic manures are made with vegetal-based composts and they are in the process of discontinuing the use of chemical synthetic pesticides across all the estates. Bud removal, trellising and leaf removal are carefully done by hand.

2016 Clos Floridene Blanc Sec is a blend of 56% Sauvignon  and 44% Sémillon. The soils are similar to those of Barsac with a thin layer of red clayey sands, rich in iron oxide, known as “Barsac red sands”, on top of the limestone bed rock. The grapes are harvested by hand and on arrival at the winery undergo a phase of skin contact followed by slow juice extraction. The free run juice is separated from the press must and is allowed to settle naturally. The juice is then barrel fermented in French oak barrels, 25% of which are new each year, and the wine is aged for 8 months in barrel with regular lees stirring.