1954 Carbonnieux Blanc

The 1954 Carbonnieux Blanc has a slightly burnished amber hue. The bouquet is a bit rustic and betrays perhaps a little botrytis in the vineyard: orange pith mixed with beeswax and grapefruit. It coheres nicely in the glass. The palate is bone dry and saline on the entry. Potent walnut and smoke notes give it an oxidative allure. If that appeals to your style, then you'll enjoy this, though it finishes a little sour in the mouth. Given the growing season, this is not bad at all, though it was trumped by the wine tasted alongside that happened to be its 1964 counterpart. Tasted blind at Olivier Bernard's "4" dinner at Domaine de Chevalier.