From two hectares of old vines to the reference estate for dry Bordeaux blanc
Clos Floridène was created in 1982 when Denis and Florence Dubourdieu bought a small, enclosed plot near Barsac. It comprised two hectares of old Sémillon and Muscadelle vines, a winemaker's house, an old chai, and two hectares of fallow land, which they immediately planted with Cabernet Sauvignon. The name is composed of the first names of the two founders.
Through the purchase of neighboring plots, the estate grew step by step. In 1991, Château Montalivet was added with 13 hectares. Today, around 40 hectares are located in the Graves appellation, predominantly on the limestone plateau of Pujols-sur-Ciron, with individual plots on the gravelly terraces of Illats. Denis Dubourdieu taught oenology at the University of Bordeaux and died in 2016. His sons Jean-Jacques and Fabrice continue to run the estate together with Florence Dubourdieu. The family has also owned Château Doisy-Daëne in Barsac since 1924.
Red sands on limestone, hand harvesting, and barriques
The soil consists of a thin layer of iron oxide-rich clay sands, the "sables rouges du Barsacais," over a porous limestone subsoil. The rock limits root penetration to about 50 centimeters. It stores water in the summer and releases it to the vines later. The vineyard is managed in the spirit of "lutte raisonnée." The grapes are harvested by hand, usually in one pass, or in two if necessary.
In the cellar, the team strictly separates free-run juice and press juice and clarifies the must through natural settling. Fermentation takes place in oak barriques, a quarter of which are renewed every year. Afterward, the wine matures for eight to nine months on the lees, which are regularly stirred. This fits the founder's signature: Denis Dubourdieu was one of the first to ferment white wine in new barriques and extend the skin contact time. The white wine has been produced in the estate's own cellar since the second expansion stage in 2016. Previously, it was vinified at Château Reynon.
Lean, straightforward, salty: the style of Clos Floridène Blanc
Depending on the vintage, Clos Floridène Blanc is a cuvée of approximately equal parts Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, plus a small proportion of Muscadelle. In the glass, there is white peach, lemon, and grapefruit, plus slightly toasted nuances from the barrel aging. The Sémillon brings roundness, the limestone subsoil tension and a salty note on the finish. French wine guides describe the wine as lean and straight, without makeup and with almost crystalline clarity.
The estate also produces a red Graves, a rosé since 2004, and the second wines under the name Drapeaux de Floridène. However, the white wine remains the flagship. Serve it at 11 to 12 °C, for example with fried fish, seafood, or young goat cheese.
