The 2023 SILT is the first ever white wine produced by Clos Puy Arnaud. Citrus and lemongrass notes typical of a 100% Sauvignon Blanc, however also shows green fruits and florals to help add body to the wine. Pair with goats cheese, shellfish, roasted poultry or bright salads.

Clos Puy Arnaud is a biodynamic producer in Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux AOC that is managed with great skill and tenacity by Thierry Valette, a proponent of organic and biodynamic viticulture and ancestral winemaking practices.

The estate is located on the Saint Èmillion ridge, although in the commune of Castillon, an area that was excluded from the communal denomination and remained in the shadow of the region's great titans for years. This has helped Thierry and other local winemakers who have acquired land at affordable prices and created a unique expression of Bordeaux that is not withheld by the constraints of grander appellations.

The particularity of the soil in this area, which consists of a limestone matrix à astéries (''starfish-like''), has made the area highly successful, yielding wines with a distinct freshness and mineral sapidity. In the cellar, fermentation is natural and spontaneous using only indigenous yeasts, and ageing takes place in cement, amphoras, or wooden barrels, altered to suit the expressiveness of the vines and the terroir.

Assemblage: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Vineyard: Plots on silty clays of faluns (rocks composed of shell debris) in Ostrea, in organic farming (AB) since 2018. Average age of the vines: 30 years.

Vinification: Sequential pressing. Settling and fermentation in 300-litre jars and barrels.

Aging: Aged for 6 months on lees, 2/3 in jars and 1/3 in barrels.

"A very crisp and vivid sauvignon with lemon pith, sliced pears and white flowers on offer. Medium-bodied with juicy acidity and saline undertones."
91-92 points.
James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (April 2024)