2009 Chateau Magence GRAVES Blanc (White Bordeaux)

This blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon (the typical white varietals that are blended together for most whites in this region) has LOTS of character--maybe too much for some--but is kind of a clumsy bruiser of a white.

Light gold color.  Big, open, chameleon-like nose that changes on every sniff.  First intensely grassy and burnt herbal (from the Sauvignon Blanc), then showing lots of waxy, lanolin scents (from the Semillon), then golden delicious apple and gooseberry scents.  Big and mouthfilling, with loads of grassy/herbal fruit, but an intense bitterness hits the palate quickly and stays throughout the finish.  It's dry and low in acidity, giving it a fleshier texture than many other whites from this region.  If Alex Karras's Mongo character in Blazing Saddles was a white wine, this would be him.  This wine will definitely polarize people.  B-.  Got it at Whole Foods on Bellaire for $13.99. 

2006 Torbreck Barossa Valley "Woodcutters' SEMILLON" (Australia)

This was a full-flavored, gangly-limbed white, with prominent peppery elements.

Eye: Light brassy gold color.

Nose: Sharp nose at first, but with airing it develops a rich, waxy lanolin character with pepper, as well as buttery pear and banana fruit.

Mouth: Deeply flavored, full-bodied, but soft, with peppery pear, grass, and stone flavors. Long finish.

Score: 88.

Drink or cellar? My experience with full-bodied semillons is that they age pretty well for a white. This one may keep and improve for a year or two, but is pleasurable now.

Price/store: $14.59 at Spec's on Richmond.

2004 Torbreck "Woodcutter's SEMILLON" (Barossa Valley, Australia)

I occasionally have a hankerin' for a Semillon. Semillon, typically blended with Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux, gives, to my taste, a broad, horizontal palate impression and has a unique aromatic profile.

This is a TEXTBOOK, ripe, fully-extracted Semillon. Light bright, brassy gold. Very assertive nose of waxy lanolin scents, with ripe figs and toasty butterscotch. Full-bodied, concentrated, with low acidity and flavors of bitter pear, butter, and minerals. Long, minerally finish, with a tad of alcoholic heat lingering with the flavors in the back of the throat. A no-holds-barred white wine. 89. Drink in the next several months. Was a very good value for $13.22 at Spec's on Richmond (just outside the Loop).