Chateau Graville-Lacoste Graves

Predominantly Sémillon, with Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Dry, crisp, and aromatic, featuring notes of lemon zest, peach, melon, and wet stone.

Bordeaux may be best known for its grand red wines, but this region along France’s Atlantic coast also produces blancs that sing as apéritifs or alongside the daily catch. Situated southeast of the left bank’s prestigious châteaux, the appellation Graves is among the best sources for delicious and versatile white wines. Its clay-and-limestone soils are ideal for growing Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle—grapes that are used for both sweet Sauternes and dry Graves. All three varieties feature in this white from Hervé Dubourdieu’s Château Graville-Lacoste. Because Hervé’s vines are five decades old and therefore have access to deep water reserves, and because their location is in one of Graves’s cooler microclimates, this blanc is incredibly consistent, year in and year out. Crisp and refreshing, with notes of citrus, cut grass, and subtle tropical fruits, - it pairs as well with oysters as it does with roasted beets and goat cheese or buttery-garlic crab legs, along with many more autumnal culinary possibilities right around the corner.

—Tom Wolf