Château de Rayne Vigneau 2023

Exceptionally fresh nose, very floral; powerful palate, oily texture, top-notch acidity backbone, very nice length, dried apricots on the finish. Shows great harmony.

A lovely Sauternes with acacia, honeysuckle, lemon cake and sweet pepper and ginger, very expressive and with both vibrancy and richness—though I find more of the latter—with plenty of crème brûlée opulence. 160 grams of residual sugar per litre.

74% Sémillon, 26% Sauvignon Gris. Much more liquorous and luxurious on the nose and palate. Has the acidity to balance the extra richness. Marmalade and lime-zest notes. Very classy and lots to like here. Perhaps not the finest Sauternes vintage but there is a lot to commend this. (AWH)

Pale golden yellow, silver reflections. Fresh stone fruit, notes of yellow peach, a hint of orange zest, inviting bouquet. Juicy, deep but not opulent, white fruit, integrated sweetness, fine acidity, balanced and very persistent, a successful representative of the vintage.

Grippy and rich, silky, concentrated and spicy, lovely bitter fennel and anise edge, pineapple, fresh acidities. Vincent Labagère director. 139g/l residual sugar.

Score: 90–92. Sun-drenched, sugar-laden grapes and more toasty notes of cardamom and biscuit form a rich bouquet. The palate is brighter, with a sweetness reminiscent of childhood jams (mirabelle plum, peach), ripe Victoria pineapple, and candied lemon. Delicate finish.

The nose is fruity and offers complexity and fine concentration. It reveals notes of vineyard peach, sweet grapefruit and, more lightly, sweet lemon, combined with delicate hints of quenette and a touch of apricot blossom, sap, and fresh toasty nuances. The palate is mineral, with a slight gloss, smoothness, a certain roundness, juiciness, a finely tangy backbone, pleasant bitters, a warm sap character, and roundness. It shows notes of quince, sweet vineyard peach and, more lightly, warm sap/cypress, with touches of sweet white flowers as well as hints of crushed small fruits and fresh toasty notes. Good length. Iodized character on the finish/persistence.

Honeyed coated apricots, pineapples, vanilla, honeysuckle, and candied oranges create the core of this sweet gem. Rich, ripe, round, sweet, and energetic on the palate, the spiced, honeyed, tropical fruit finish is balanced by all the zippy acidity. Drink from 2028-2055.

Warmed peach and pineapple notes give this a chutneylike accent, though there’s freshness as well in the form of honeysuckle and yuzu, which brightens the finish nicely. Shows a bit of power tucked in on the finish. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2040. 1,800 cases made, 500 cases imported.

The bouquet immediately embodies that dream balance, with its clarity promising to rein in any excesses. Notes of white-fleshed fruit mingle with aromas of toasted almonds, rooty nuances, white pepper and then citrus accents. The interplay of salinity and sweetness on the attack says a great deal about this wine’s modern style. It has drive and breadth, charm and freshness. The linear progression simply carries perfectly mastered elements through to a lingering finish that deftly manages the full, expansive dimension unfurling within it. A complete wine that will delight several generations!

Golden colour. An intense, refined, fruity and pure nose, with hints of plum. Precise on the attack and aromatic through the mid-palate, the wine melts on the palate, rich and flavoursome, but far from the magnificent finish described en primeur.