On day two of our road trip we had booked tastings at Chateau Guiraud, another premier grand cru classe of 1855, and Chateau d’Arche, a grand cru Classe of 1855. We finished the day with dinner at La Chappelle, Chateau Guiraud’s very stylish restaurant. This day was, unsurprisingly, largely about the sweet wines of Sauternes.
Chateau Guiraud
The day began at Chateau Guiraud, established as a wine growing estate in 1766 and unusually at that time owned by a protestant family when all around looked to Rome. The signature black label, still as much a part of the Guiraud identity today, sacralises the founding family’s protestant and republican values. Fast forwarding to the twenty first century Chateau Guiraud still bears the hallmarks of a wine growing estate that challenges the norm and embraces change and progress. In 1996 Chateau Guiraud embarked upon the study of biodiversity, adopting that approach to its viticulture, and in 2011 it became the first grand cru classe to be awarded organic certification. A visit to the vineyard today illustrates those biodiverse viticultural practices: insect hotels, grasses and wild flowers growing alongside and within the vines, hedgerows planted and nesting sites protected.
Chateau Guiraud produces three wines: “G” of Chateau Guiraud, its dry white Bordeaux; Petit Guiraud, its second wine; and Chateau Guiraud, its first wine. During our visit we did a vertical tasting of the estate’s first wine; the 2014, 2008 and 1998 vintages. The first wine, Chateau Guiraud, is a bend of 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc (a relatively high proportion of Sauvignon Blanc compared to others). Depending on the vintage it is aged in oak for between 18 and 24 months. The 2014 wine that we tasted was the fourth vintage to be certified as organic. The vintage began with mild temperatures which resulted in early flowering. In spring and Summer the temperatures were fresh and at the end of August the sun arrived marking the start of a real Indian summer. Harvest conditions were optimal with four successive selections from 17 September to 29 October. However, only about half the normal quantity of grapes were harvested resulting in a relatively low yield vintage (about 5000 cases were produced). The conditions (especially the fresh spring and summer) produced a vintage of freshness, tension, balance and aromatic purity. Typically tropical fruit but without the ‘dried’ quality that can be associated with a quality Sauternes.
The 2008 vintage was dealt a blow on the night of 6 – 7 April when a hard frost struck and reduced many yields, Chateau Guiraud losing half of its expected harvest. There followed mildew-inducing rain, hail and ever changing weather. The Indian summer that followed saved many a vineyard from anticipated disaster. Endless sunshine and humid conditions provided the perfect conditions for botrytis cinerea (noble rot) and a long harvest that, at Chateau Guiraud, began on 23 September and finished on 14 November. The resulting wine is exotic, with notes of mango and candied lemon, and floral notes. The wine is precise, pleasantly acidic and beautifully balanced.
Rolling back the years we tried the 1998 vintage last. This was a big vintage in every respect. The yield was well above average and this is a blockbuster of a wine (partly now, of course, due to its age). The colour gave an indication of what was to come. Aromas of apricot, pear, fig and candied fruits. On the palate it is full bodied, unctuous and has a long finish. This really was just like nectar!
During our visite de degustation we didn’t taste the Chateau’s other wines although we did that evening over dinner (more on that later!). However, to complete the picture, Petit Guiraud, the Chateau’s second wine, is made of the same proportion Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, 63% and 35% respectively. Following vinification of the Chateau’s grand cru the second wine is a blend of wines from several batches selected for their particular style. The wine is aged in oak barrels or stainless steel vats, the aim being to produce a wine that is fresh and accessible and for earlier drinking.
Finally, “G” de Chateau Guiraud, the estate’s dry white wine, is a blend of equal parts Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The resulting wine is aged in 80% oak (that produced the previous vintage’s grand cru) and 20% stainless steel for a period of around 7 months on its fine lees which are regularly stirred to help create a creamy texture on the palate. The dry wine reveals a rich expression of ripe citrus fruit and quince. The wine is bone dry with a rich texture and fresh acidity. Proof if ever it were needed that the Chateaux of Sauternes can produce equally impressive dry wines to complement their traditionally sweet offerings.
Chateau d’Ache and La Chappelle to follow in the next post …