Château Guiraud 2009 is a First Growth Sauternes from a warm, dry year that suited botrytis. It pairs deep botrytis richness with the freshness that a relatively high share of Sauvignon Blanc brings.
About This Wine
2009 was warm and dry, and in Sauternes a well-timed bout of noble rot gave concentrated, balanced wines. Guiraud's 2009 is 65% Sémillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc. Now past its fifteenth birthday, it is moving into a lovely, honeyed middle age.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Apricot, peach, honeysuckle, jasmine and dried mango, with almond and crème brûlée
- Palate: Rich and very sweet but tightly focused, with marmalade, pineapple, baking spice and fine acidity
- Finish: Unctuous and lasting, with dried apricot, nectarine and a faint bitter-orange edge
Serving & Food
Serve chilled at 10 to 12°C in a white wine glass. Drink now to 2040 and beyond. Open it with foie gras terrine, Roquefort or Stilton, or a peach and almond tart. It also works well with spicy Sichuan-style dishes.
How to Enjoy
Sweet-wine lovers and cellars wanting a top 2009 Sauternes that is now drinking well.
Product Details
Producer: Château Guiraud
Country: France
Classification: Premier Grand Cru Classé (First Growth), 1855
Appellation: Sauternes, Bordeaux, France
Vintage: 2009
Grape Blend: 65% Sémillon, 35% Sauvignon Blanc
Style: Sweet white wine
Volume: 750mL
About the Château
Guiraud lies in the commune of Sauternes, next door to Yquem, and was ranked Premier Cru in the 1855 classification of Sauternes and Barsac. It is one of the larger estates in the appellation. Xavier Planty, who ran the property for decades, pushed hard for environmentally careful farming, and Guiraud became the first classified Sauternes growth to gain organic certification.
In 2006, a few years before this vintage, the estate was bought by a group of four: Robert Peugeot of the car family, Xavier Planty, Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier and Stephan von Neipperg of Canon-la-Gaffelière. Since 2021 the entrepreneur Matthieu Gufflet has been majority shareholder. Grapes are picked by hand in several passes through the vineyard to collect only botrytised berries, and the wine is fermented and aged in oak.