Château de Rayne Vigneau is located in the gorgeous, expansive landscape in the southern part of the Bordeaux wine growing region. The vineyards in this area are planted to Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle for their production of Sauternes. Château de Rayne Vigneau is very well known for their production of stunning Sauternes, especially since they have first growth classification according to the Bordeaux wine classification of 1855. However, when weather does not permit their grapes to develop Botrytis—the “noble rot” which causes the grapes to become partially raisined and higher in sugar and fruit concentration—producers use their grapes to make elegant expressions of dry Bordeaux Blanc. Such is the case with Château de Rayne Vigneau’s 2013 Le Sec de Rayne Vigneau; this wine is made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes in a completely dry style and believe me when I say, it is delicious.

The vineyards which produce this wine are an average age of twenty-five years—just now coming into maturity, but still producing phenomenal fruit. The certified sustainable farming ensures the utmost quality upon harvesting. Sandy gravel soil with clay subsoil generates a delicious minerality and creamy texture in this wine; if you’ve tasted grassy styles of Sauvignon Blanc from other regions, this wine is not like that at all. This example has more body than other Sauvignon Blanc I have tasted, and if you are a fan of richly-textured white wines, this will surely please your palate. It is nothing like the fresh, herbal and citrusy examples from the Loire Valley. The estate pridefully harvests their fruit by hand, taking only the best selection of fruit, and then brings the grapes to their sorting table where only the most pristine fruit is used. Grapes are pressed, then the must undergoes a short amount of skin contact before being fermented in large 8,000 liter oak barrels—where the lees are stirred often to bring more texture and creaminess to the final wine. 

The 2013 Le Sec de Rayne Vigneau has a light golden yellow core moving to green highlights on the rim.  The nose is driven by aromas of creamy yellow papaya, orange blossoms, yellow apple, and a touch of candied grapefruit peel, lees and crushed stones. The palate is medium plus in body and has a very creamy texture, combined with bright acidity while exhibiting similar flavors to the nose. This wine should be consumed in its youth, over the next two to three years, although I would not be surprised if this wine showed well a decade from now. This wine shows well after a few minutes of being open, so simply pour into large Bordeaux stems at about 50-55 degrees and enjoy.