TN: 2018 Ch. Ducasse 'blanc' [Graves]

[AKR]

2018 Ch. Ducasse 'blanc' [Graves] This is a wine where nomenclature is confusing. This is sold in the US under Ducasse, but is actually from an estate called Beauregard Ducasse, which has multiple bottlings of their blanc. To make things more confusing, Kermit Lynch imports wines from an estate in the Graves where the flagship is Graville Lacoste [Graves] along with a blanc Ducasse [Bordeaux], and a little seen dessert wine, Roumieu Lacoste [Sauternes]. So a fair amount of the Google search information ends up confusing the two whites, Ducasse [Graves] with Ducasse [Bordeaux]. I'm not sure why all this happens, especially since KLWM tends to trademark their names/labels. Bottom line: if one is looking up info on unfamiliar items the US importer is more likely to have accurate information versus vendors, critics, etc. Moving on, this 13% white Graves is pretty good! I'd consider it to be as nice as Clos Floridene, which has really pumped out their vineyards and output, perhaps to a slight detriment in the last few years. On the bouquet/palate side, I find this is mostly in the bitter citrus camp showing grapefruit/pomelo flavors, with balanced acidity. Supposedly this only intended to age 5 years or so (a DIAM3 cork aligns with that vision) but at age 5, over two days, it's drinking great and I would expect several more years would be no issue. This is a semillion heavy blend (65% Sem, 35% Sauv Blanc, 5% muscadelle) so I'd think it will keep, based on the first component's ability to develop in bottle. It's a nice wine, not shrill at all, satisfying enough to make me reconsider my long held bias against white Graves, excluding Dubordieu's fruity Clos Floridene. I'd slot this into the tough zone between B+ and A-.