Whether it’s fetching sky-high scores or being celebrated as one of the top wines of the year, this 2009 from Château Guiraud is a smoking Sauternes that rightly deserves the hype. Regardless of which critic you subscribe to, this wine gets glowing reviews and the points to match. I’m on board with them, too: In the dazzling 2009 vintage, it’s one of the best in its class, flaunting an incomprehensible amount of richness and power. Guiraud’s liquid gold is a must-have for these upcoming holidays, and, so long as it’s perched on your table, it doesn’t matter which one you’re celebrating.
Trust me when I say this small (375ml) bottle size is deceptive: The hedonism and concentration packed into each sip ensures that a dinner party of six will be properly satisfied with just one bottle—but it never hurts to open a second, especially at a price so low! If you want unbridled luxury that piques every sense you have, Guiraud is the answer, with its intoxicating perfumes, intensely ripe fruits, and minutes-long finish. Whether proudly serving its purpose as an outside-the-box savory course pairing, a dessert accompaniment (or standalone), or a nightcap with your closest friends, the resulting experience will be a long-held memory—it may be a small bottle, but its flavors and their lasting impact are monumental!
The name printed in striking gold type on the front label carries a deep history: Founded in 1766 by the Guirauds, a family of merchants, the estate quickly became the standout name in Bordeaux and, within three generations, was delivering world-class wines that Emperor Napoleon III deemed “Premier Grand Cru Classé” in the still-resonating 1855 classification. Fast-forwarding to modern history, the glamorous estate was acquired by four noteworthy investors in the mid-2000s: automobile mogul Robert Peugeot; proprietor of several high-profile châteaux in Saint-Émilion, Stephan Von Neipperg; Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier; and Guiraud’s longtime estate manager, Xavier Planty. This quartet quickly worked together to preserve the château’s organic approaches and, by 2011, the entire property was Certified Organic—the very first classified property to achieve this.
In 2009, four passes were made through Guiraud’s organically farmed, 40-year-old vines in order to hand-select—and from that tiny selection, heavily sort—the finest botrytised grapes. Because of this exhausting process, harvest took an entire month to complete and microscopic yields came in at 15 hectoliters per hectare (for comparison, Château d’Yquem hovers around 10, with each vine equating to about one glass of wine). In the winery, grapes fermented in 90% new French barrels, crafted from only the best coopers, for up to six weeks. Upon completion, the wine then aged two extra years in barrel before bottling.
Château Guiraud’s 2009 Sauternes displays a deep yellow with bright gold reflections. After a few swirls, the wine’s thick, slow-moving tears ooze down the glass. There are a few routes to take after pulling the cork: Either allow the wine to sit the entire day while gently resting the cork atop the opening, or decant for 1-2 hours prior to service (really, the wine shows best on day two!). On the nose, this hedonistic Sauternes is mind-blowingly dense, with ultra-ripe fruit and floral aromas like yellow and white flowers, quince, stewed apricots, candied peach, orange marmalade, lemon curd, mango, and white cherries. These are followed by layers of honey, baking spice, dough, button mushroom, and figs. The wine is full-bodied and unctuous, with just enough acidity to keep it from weighing down your palate, saturating the senses with a mesmerizing blend of rich spice, fruits, and earth. Serve in all-purpose white wine stems and follow the above-mentioned directions when opening. If you decide to match this with a main course instead of dessert, prepare Sauternes’ sybaritic food companion: foie gras...with veal medallions. And while this ’09 will wow you and those you hold dear this holiday season, it will—like all the best of the best—age for decades to come. So, whenever you choose to enjoy it, mark my words: You won’t forget it. Cheers!
