Chateau Sainte Marie 2025 Entre-Deux-Mers Vieilles Vignes, Bordeaux

If there is a better, more consistent Entre-Deux-Mers, we have yet to find it.  Stéphane Dupuch makes serious wine from his vineyards between the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers.  A perennial favorite, this wine is a serious overachiever in the region that has historically been dominated by over-cropped vineyards, huge yields and chemical viticulture.  No pesticides or herbicides are used and vineyard density is 2-3 times the norm.  Plowing of the soils is a given and the results are evident in the wine. Layers of minerals, sappy texture and crisp acidity follow a nose that leans towards sauvignon without being vegetal.  Skin maceration pre-fermentation helps develop complexity and tension that is uncommon for the appellation.   Citrus and melon dominate the nose with some cut hay.  Made of 75% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sémillon, 5% Muscadelle.