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Château Olivier, Pessac-Léognan Blanc 2016 (Grand Cru Classé de Graves)

WhiteFrance2016

By Daniel Min · Tasted 2020-01-23 · Published 2026-09-19 · Updated 2026-09-19

In one paragraphChâteau Olivier Pessac-Léognan Blanc 2016 is a white wine from Château Olivier, a Grand Cru Classé estate in Pessac-Léognan, Graves, Bordeaux, built on a Sauvignon Blanc-led blend at 13.5% ABV. First recorded in 14th-century documents, the estate took its present name and shape in the early 16th century when Arthus d'Olivey converted it into a moated fortress with four towers, and legend (per the château's own account) has it that England's Prince Edward, the 'Black Prince,' hunted in the surrounding oak forest during the Hundred Years' War. Since 1867 it has belonged to the German-descended banking family de Bethmann, now in its fifth generation. In the 1953 and 1959 Graves classifications, Château Olivier was ranked Grand Cru Classé for both red and white — one of only a handful of Graves estates classified in both colors. On Vivino, this 2016 vintage has 189 ratings averaging 3.8 (2,352 across all vintages, averaging 3.9), with two listed critic scores of 87–89 and 87. The nose leads with citrus (274 mentions), followed by tree fruit (215), earth and honey (197) and oak (128). Structure: intensity 3.8/5, acidity 3.2, sweetness 2.0. Recommended drinking window: 2018–2026. I scored it 3.5. World average price: US$45 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026) per 750ml, ex-tax (Wine-Searcher).

At a glance

Two critic scores on Vivino — (87–89) and 87

Market note: Korean market availability was not checked (this site covers only overseas retail and Wine-Searcher's world average price).

What this wine is

Château Olivier first appears in 14th-century records as land belonging to the d'Olivey family, but it was Arthus d'Olivey, Lord of Léognan, in the early 16th century who built the estate into what it is today. He turned a simple keep into a fortress with four towers, surrounding walls and a water-filled moat — features that still stand and were listed as a French historic monument in 1953 — and he was also the first to plant vines there. Legend, as the château's own materials tell it, has England's Prince Edward, known as the 'Black Prince,' hunting in the surrounding oak forest during the Hundred Years' War. It's squarely in the territory of legend, with no independent confirmation, but the story is often paired with another: that the French commander Bertrand du Guesclin may also have stayed here during his campaigns in Aquitaine.

In 1867, Alexandre de Bethmann — a German-descended banker who also served as mayor of Bordeaux — bought the estate, and the Bethmann family has owned and run it for five generations since (his son Alexandre took over management in 2012). In the 1953 and 1959 Graves classifications, Château Olivier was named Grand Cru Classé for both red and white — a distinction held by only a handful of Graves estates across both colors.

And here's the fact Daniel picked up for the first time at this tasting. Cabernet Sauvignon's true identity puzzled people for a long time, until a team led by Carole Meredith at UC Davis used DNA analysis in 1996–97 to show it was born from a chance natural cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc sometime in the 17th century. Traces of both parent grapes — the cassis and pencil-shaving notes of Cabernet Franc, the grassy edge of Sauvignon Blanc — still show up in Cabernet Sauvignon today, and that overlap is at the heart of the discovery.

What the world says

This 2016 vintage has 189 Vivino ratings averaging 3.8 (2,352 across all vintages, averaging 3.9). Two critic scores are listed: 87–89 and 87. The flavor keywords lead decisively with the citrus group — citrus, lemon, grapefruit — at 274 mentions, followed by tree fruit like peach and apricot (215), earthy honey and minerals (197), and oak (128). Structure: intensity 3.8/5, acidity 3.2, sweetness 2.0 — Daniel's note about a 'Sauternes-like botrytized' impression isn't literal (this isn't a botrytized sweet wine), but the flavor data's mix of honey, beeswax and oak explains why the association came to mind.

The year-over-year trend shows scores climbing gently from the 3.6 range in 1999–2001 to the 3.8–4.0 range from the mid-2010s on. Compared with Château Beneyt Bordeaux Blanc 2017 (Daniel's score: 2, no Vivino average recorded) and Vieux Château Gaubert Graves Rouge 1999 (2.5), both covered earlier on this site, the classified Grand Cru status of Château Olivier shows in both community scores and overall polish.

How I drank it

23 January 2020, 3.5 stars. "Pale yellow green color. Lemon, citrus, gooseberry, minerals, stone, bell pepper, vanilla. Flavorful finish, especially kiwi fruit," the note opens, then continues: "Whether it was cedar or currant, there was this interesting note like a botrytized wine, like Sauternes. In Bordeaux Graves they age it in oak, which adds depth. Today, through Olivier, I learned for the first time that Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Bordeaux dry whites are fun~~^^"

This note reads less like a tasting description than a record of discovery — the central line is about learning Cabernet Sauvignon's genetic origin while drinking a Bordeaux dry white. The 3.5 score sits just under the Vivino community average of 3.8, but with 'fun' repeated twice, the lower score reads less like disappointment and more like an evening where the wine's complexity and the trivia it sparked were the main draw.

Vivino community data

2016 vintage rating distribution (189 ratings, average 3.8)

Most-mentioned aromas

Structure: Acidity 3.2/5 · Intensity 3.8/5 · Sweetness 2.0/5

Average by vintage (all vintages: 2352 ratings, average 3.9)

My original note (Vivino, 2020-01-23)

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Frequently asked questions

Links & sources

View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher

• Vivino — wine page and community data
• Château Olivier official — Le Château Olivier
• The Wine Cellar Insider — Château Olivier
• Wikipedia — Cabernet Sauvignon
• Wikipedia — Château Olivier

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