Chateau de Rayne Vigneau 2021

Fresh, delicately spicy nose, floral aromas, dried apricots; powerful palate, juicy fruit, delicate acidity, impressive length. Can age.

Thick and ample in the mouth, weighty and full of sweet orange peel, slightly wild honey, spiced lemon and pineapple, a real mixture of flavours and textures in the mouth. It doesn’t have the sugary density of some; this is more focused and straight, with a lightness of touch on the finish, but I like its style and character.

71% Sémillon, 28% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Muscadelle. Cask sample. Cloudy gold. Sherbet-lemon nose. Zesty and fresh on the palate. Real length and drive. Freshness almost sublimates the richness but the fruit is there. Fresh and clean on the finish and very, very long. (JL)

The 2021 Château de Rayne-Vigneau has a rather conservative bouquet that gradually opens with yellow flowers, jasmine, dried honey and quince. The palate is well-balanced with a viscous entry—one of the spicier Sauternes, with ample weight on the finish. This has a lot to offer, and it should age well in bottle. Tasted twice in bottle and half-bottle.

Spicy pineapples, with accents of ginger, Meyer lemons, caramel and honeyed tropical fruits shoot from the glass, ending with a fresh, racy, sweet, vibrant, honeyed, tropical finish. Drink it young, or age it for decades. Drink from 2024-2050.

Medium golden yellow colour with silver reflections. Delicate orange zest and lanolin, fine honey and ripe mango fruit. Juicy, powerful, with fine wood savouriness, fresh acidity, white peach, mineral notes, well-integrated sweetness, shows length and good ageing potential.

Medium gold-hued, the 2021 Château De Rayne Vigneau checks in as 77% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon, and 3% Muscadelle. It has a solid bouquet of ripe orange zest, tangerines, honeyed mint, and a kiss of background spice. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, and balanced, with a clean, classy style that balances sweetness and acidity nicely.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (71% Sémillon, 28% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Muscadelle, 7 hl/ha, 13.5% vol. alcohol) Creamy, broad, full bouquet, mirabelle jelly, linden blossom, chalk, citrus. Creamy, opulent palate with a plush texture, pronounced sweetness, medium acidity, generous finish. Has room to improve.

(71% Sémillon, 28% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Muscadelle, 7 hl/ha, 13.5% vol. alcohol) Creamy, broad, full bouquet: mirabelle plum jelly, linden blossom, chalk, citrus. Creamy, opulent palate with a plush texture, pronounced sweetness, medium acidity, generous finish. Can improve further. 17/20 2028 - 2055

This is impressive, with plenty of cut orange peel and sharp citrus, lifted by white pepper, pink grapefruit and saffron. The fresh acidity makes this one of the more sculpted Sauternes of the vintage, with mandarin peel and a slatey edge. Fans of more luscious Sauternes might find it a touch on the slight side, but it is a beautiful wine.

A very precise nose, with notes of aged gold and fallen apples. Lovely acidity on the palate, simplicity, and appealing frankness.

What freshness and intensity in this bouquet! It is marked by rooty and chalky notes before opening onto citrus, mirabelle plum, fennel, and verbena. On the palate, the wine takes on a strict and precise profile. Energy drives the wine, but it is not tied to opulence; on the contrary, the acidic structure acts as the guiding force, carrying this wine toward lofty qualitative heights and a virtually timeless trajectory! Referring to my tasting of the bottled wine, I noted back then hints of acacia honey, which often signals development. Today, I find myself much more aligned with the score given at en primeur, namely 95–97…

Yellow color with green highlights. Intense, delicate, fruity, minty nose. A hint of melon. Soft on the attack, rather complex mid-palate, flavorful and very fruity; the wine turns slightly lusciously sweet on the finish, lifted by a spicy note. Good length.

Aromas of spices, ripe orchard fruits, exotic fruit and passion fruit preface the 2021 Rayne-Vigneau, a round, supple and medium-bodied wine with a fleshy core of fruit and a lively mid-palate. Despite a touch of volatile acidity, it’s perfectly balanced with superb notes of pineapple on the finish. This is a blend of 71% Sémillon, 28% Sauvignon Blanc and 1% Muscadelle.