Wine Advisor
Rayne Vigneau 2023
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Yohan Castaing
A blend of 72% Sémillon, 26% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle, the 2023 Château de Rayne Vigneau is superb, revealing aromas of quince, spices, saffron and exotic fruits intertwined with pineapple. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, it is harmonious and seamless, built around a fleshy core of fruit and marked by a beautiful note of rôti, concluding with a long, saline finish shaped by refined gastronomic bitterness. Produced at a yield of eight hectoliters per hectare, this ranks among the finest renditions the estate has produced to date.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2023 Rayne Vigneau is a wild, exotic Sauternes. Pear, jasmine, tropical fruit and hints of white truffle are some of the many aromas and flavors that give the 2023 its complex, wonderfully dynamic personality. Understated, airy and nuanced, Rayne Vigneau is compelling in 2023.
About the Producer
Located in the Sauternes region of Bordeaux, France, Château de Rayne Vigneau is a Premier Cru in the 1855 Classification of Sauternes and Barsac. Chateau de Rayne Vigneau dates back to the 17th century and was originally called Vigneau de Bomme, the name of the village of Bomme where the estate is located, plus the name of the Vigneau family who owned it. The name of Gabriel de Vigneau, then owner of the estate, already appears in a document dating from 1635. Gabriel's son, Etienne de Vigneau, married Jeanne Sauvage, the daughter of the owner of Chateau d'Yquem, and took over the affairs of the Vigneau in 1681. In 1834, Madame de Rayne bought the estate. Under Madame de Rayne's careful management, the château was awarded a First Growth in the official Sauternes and Barsac classification in 1855. In 1961, the vineyards and equipment were sold and the château, outbuildings and gardens were preserved. From 2004 to 2015, Rayne de Vigneau was part of CA Grands Crus, a subsidiary of the Credit Agricole Group, and during this time, under the direction of Anne Le Naour, the overall quality of the wines was greatly improved. Today, Château Vignon is a property of the Tresor du Patrimoine group and is managed by its manager Vincent Labergere and oenological consultant Denis Dubourdieu. The vineyard is ideally located on a hill overlooking the Sauternes region and covers 84 hectares with vines of an average age of 30 years. The soil of the vineyard consists of clay and gravel. The vineyard is planted with 74% Semillon, 24% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle. Influenced by the Ciron and Garonne rivers, the vineyards are often blessed with morning fog in late summer and early autumn, which allows the growth of Botrytis Cinerea. The infection of the grapes with Botrytis cinerea further concentrates the sugars and flavours in the fruit, making the wines produced by the estate even sweeter and more aromatic. The winery takes great care in the production of its Sauternes sweet white wines. At Chateau de Rayne Vigneau, the grapes are hand-picked to ensure that each grape is picked in perfect condition by the noble rot bacteria. In accordance with traditional procedures, the grapes are then hand-selected. In the winery, the meticulous craftsmanship of the vineyard naturally extends to the winery, where the grapes undergo a rigorous secondary screening process on the sorting table before being pressed and then fermented and aged in oak barrels with a 40%-50% new barrel ratio. Chateau de Rayne Vigneau currently produces four wines. The main wine is the Chateau de Rayne Vigneau, Sauternes, France, which has become a model of quality in Sauternes, with its freshness, aromatic intensity and long aftertaste. The secondary wine, Madame de Rayne, Sauternes, France, named in honour of Madame Rayne's contribution to the estate, has a more feminine and approachable style than the main wine. The estate also produces two other wines, Le Sec de Rayne Vigneau, Bordeaux, France, and Gold de Rayne Vigneau, Sauternes, France, a sweet white wine.
