2016 La Proportion Doree

The 2016 La Proportion Doree is a blend of 67% Sémillon, 32% Sauvignon Blanc and 1% Muscadelle from 30+-year-old dry-farmed vines barrel fermented with bâtonnage. It comes strutting out of the glass like a total rock star, singing notes of ripe grapefruit, lemon meringue pie and white peaches with hints of beeswax, lime blossoms, candied ginger and nutmeg. Medium to full-bodied, the palate lends a seductively satiny texture with layer upon layer of citrus and stone fruit notions and a racy backbone to support, finishing on a long-lingering chalky note. 650 cases produced.

Reminding me of a great vintage of La Mission Haut Brion, the 2016 La Proportion Dorée (65% Sémillon, 33% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle) boasts phenomenal notes of citrus, tangerines, flower oil, and candied lemons. It’s deep, rich, and concentrated, yet has vibrant acidity as well as purity. It’s unquestionably one of the best white Bordeaux blends coming out of California. I loved these latest releases from Luc Morlet and family, and they show a sensational mix of classic, balanced, even old-school, characters mixed with killer California fruit. As a whole, the 2014s show more elegance and complexity, with the 2015s possessing more power and richness. These are rockstar wines.

The 2015 La Proportion Dorée is intriguing in the way it melds the natural intensity of these old vines with a measure of brightness and cut that serves to balance some of its more overt leanings. I very much like the freshness of the 2016. That should also help it develop nicely over the coming years. I tasted the 2016 from tank just prior to bottling.