Wine Advisor
Sigalas Rabaud 2019
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Casting a pale lemon-gold color, the 2019 Sigalas Rabaud hits the ground running with fabulously intense scents of tangerine peel, lemon marmalade, clover honey and paraffin wax plus suggestions of allspice, candied ginger and orange blossoms plus a waft of chalk dust. The palate is a blow-you-over, powerful expression, featuring condensed layers of citrus preserves, honey and spice notions with an unctuous texture and just enough freshness to balance, finishing with epic persistence. Impressive showing.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2019 Sigalas Rabaud does not quite deliver the same precision on the nose as other Sauternes that I tasted. The palate is fresh and spicy with ginger and marmalade notes, moderate depth with a nicely poised, quite Barsac-like finish. Hopefully the aromatics will improve by the time of bottling.
About the Producer
Château Sigalas-Rabaud is located in the Sauternes appellation of Bordeaux, France, and is rated as a First Growth in the 1855 Sauternes & Barsac Official Classification. The vineyards of Château Sgrappel are located on the prestigious terraces of the Sauternes appellation and are planted with 85% Semillon and 15% Sauvignon Blanc. The topsoil is made up of gravel and sand, with a clay subsoil, which is well suited to the water and nutrient needs of the grapes and is very conducive to achieving the right level of ripeness. The proximity of the vineyards to the Siron River and the early morning fog create ideal conditions for the propagation of noble rot. The fruit is infested with noble rot, which leaves numerous small holes in the skin. When the sun shines, the sugars, acidity and flavours of the fruit are concentrated, creating a multitude of aromas and flavours. The vineyard is located on a south-facing slope, which allows the infested fruit to be blown by the wind, further accelerating the concentration process. At harvest time, the grapes are hand-picked to select those perfectly infected by noble rot. As the grapes ripen at different times, the harvest may be repeated several times and span a long period of time, from September to November. The grapes are then transferred to French oak barrels for fermentation and the finished wine is aged in 33% new barrels for 18 months. The secondary wines are usually aged for a shorter period of 12 months. Château Sigalas-Rabaud currently produces five wines, three sweet whites and two dry whites, three of which are the Château Sigalas-Rabaud (Sauternes, France), the Lieutenant de Sigalas (Sauternes, France) and the Lieutenant de Sigalas (Sauternes, France). Sigalas-Rabaud Le 5, Sauternes, France. The estate's full-bodied wines are aromatic, with silky tannins and a long, stunning finish, and have received excellent ratings of 90 points or more from the Robert Parker Team, James Suckling and Wine Spectator in several vintages.
