Château Carbonnieux Léognan Blanc Grand Cru Classé de Graves 1959

Ratings

February 6, 2025

Château Carbonnieux sits at the heart of Graves, celebrated for both its red and white wines, and holds the Grand Cru Classé de Graves title from 1959. Nestled in Léognan, the estate traditionally blends Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon (sometimes, with a pinch of Muscadelle) to craft one of Bordeaux’s classic dry whites. Though 1959 is legendary for reds, the whites also thrived under that warm, dry vintage, yielding generous, ripe fruit.

This particular bottle was poured blind, and while one taster pegged it as Bordeaux, most were stumped by its true age. It was obvious the wine was old, but guesses ranged from the 80s to the 90s, and I initially suspected the 70s—until it dawned on me that it might go all the way back to the 50s. Cue some wild second-guessing.

The wine truly astonishes when you put everything in context. Yes, it’s well beyond its peak, but it still sports a startling acidity and the faint echo of fruit. In the glass, it morphs from a veil of mould and wet wool into a tapestry of coffee, medicinal hints, caramel, beeswax, and marmalade. The palate feels both broad and layered, culminating in a drawn-out finish where damp cellar nuances mingle with a green apricot bitterness. Considering its age, it’s a genuine time capsule, mind-blowing in its survival. Yet I’d be lying if I said it was the most pleasurable sip out there; it’s more a rare brush with ancient Bordeaux than an easygoing pour. Still, it’s tough not to admire how it has held on—an echo of a vintage that’s become the stuff of legend.