Chateau Guiraud 2023

Characteristics and tasting advice for Château Guiraud 2023

Tasting

Colour
With a beautiful golden yellow hue, the robe seduces with its brilliance and shine.

Nose
Opening with intense fragrances of pink grapefruit, clementine, pineapple and passion fruit, the nose exhales elegant notes of thyme, Provencal herbs and smoke as it aerates.

Palate
Ample, lively and balanced, the palate harmoniously combines persistence with tasty spicy and zesty aromas, signs of a significant aging potential.

A Premier Grand Cru Classé from Sauternes combining richness and freshness

The property

"La Maison Noble du Bayle", the first name of Château Guiraud was owned by the Mons de Saint Poly family. In 1766 Pierre Guiraud, a Bordeaux merchant, became the owner. In 80 years and three generations, the Château Guiraud has become a prestigious name, crowned in 1855 as a 1st Grand Cru Classé of Sauternes.

Taken over in 2006 by 4 personalities (an industrialist, Robert Peugeot and three winemakers, Olivier Bernard, Stephan Von Neipperg and Xavier Planty), Château Guiraud is a must-have label.

In 2019, Xavier Planty handed over the management of the estate to his son, Luc. In April 2022 Matthieu Gufflet, owner of Château de Callac (Graves), became the majority shareholder of the property, then in May 2022 Sandrine Garbay, cellar master at Château d’Yquem, took over the head of Château Guiraud.

The vineyard

A reference among the great wines of Sauternes, Château Guiraud watches over a 54-hectare vineyard resting on sandy gravel soils (80%) and clayey gravel soils (20%). Nestled in a haven of biodiversity, the vines, aged 25 to 30 years on average, have been farmed organically since 1996.

The vintage

A mild and not very rainy winter favors an early bud break, before frosts in early April partially impact the vineyard without however altering the harvest potential. The rapid vegetative development due to a warm and humid spring is offset by a high mildew pressure successfully managed thanks to the rigor of the teams. The dry conditions recorded during the summer delay the emergence of botrytis until significant rainfall in mid-September followed by a real Indian summer ensuring optimal development of noble rot.

Vinification and aging

Harvest in three passes from September 27 to October 13. Fermentation with 90% indigenous yeasts in new French oak barrels and 10% in barrels of one wine. The aging of about 18 months is carried out exclusively in barrels.

Blend

Sémillon (65%)
Sauvignon blanc (35%).