Château Thieuley Cuvée Francis Courselle 2008

Chief winemaker at Le Chai is Haut Brion trained Jean-Marc Sauboua. Not surprisingly his nieces Sylvie and Marie Courselle are also winemakers, trained in Chivite in Spain and at top Languedoc estate Domaine L'Hortus. They now work at Château Thieuley, where they made this special white for us. It's a tribute to their dad, Francis, who was key in modernising Bordeaux's white wines. He made wines finer than the Graves' Pessac Léognan and passed his skill and passion onto his daughters and JMS himself. Using old, very low yield, estate grown grapes, fermented in the finest new oak, this white has a creamy spice edge to its honeyed lemon fruit. Perfect with sauced white meats. A wine served in BA's First Class and at JMS's 50th birthday bash.