70% Sémillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc

Food pairings: Lovely as an aperitif, and with oysters, seafood and fish, spicy and Asian dishes, Indian curries, poultry and picnic fare.

Winemaking: Harvested in September, the wine is fermented and aged in stainless-steel vats for about five months and bottled unfiltered, keeping all its freshness and tang. The generous share of Sémillon gives weight, texture and gentle floral and stone-fruit aromas, while the Sauvignon Blanc brings lively citrus and acidity. Serve at 10 to 12°C (50 to 54°F).

Vineyards and terroir: Château Ducasse lies in Barsac, in the Sauternes area, and for decades its dry white has been made mostly from old Sémillon vines originally intended for the great sweet wines of Barsac-Sauternes. The vines, 35 years old on average, grow on clay-limestone and silty clay over a fissured rock subsoil, which gives the wine its minerality and finesse. The family farms sustainably and has been certified High Environmental Value (HVE level 3) since 2020.

Family and history: The family story began in 1890, when the Lacoste family bought a modest estate in Barsac; it became Château Roûmieu-Lacoste when Georges Dubourdieu married Marguerite Lacoste. The next generation added Château Graville-Lacoste in the Graves and began making dry whites, and Hervé Dubourdieu's mother Simone later bought the small Château Ducasse estate in Barsac, which has made an AOC Bordeaux dry white since the 2000s. Hervé took the reins in 1983 with his wife Sabine, and their sons André and Léon are now the fifth generation of winemakers. A meticulous perfectionist, Hervé keeps his vineyards and cellar in impeccable condition.

In the pictures: Ripe Sémillon grapes in a Barsac vineyard at neighbouring Château Doisy-Védrines (photo: Megan Mallen, 2010, CC BY 2.0). A panoramic view of Barsac and its vineyards on an early 1900s postcard (Bernadet, public domain).