Château Guiraud 2005 - 1er Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The château is owned by four partners: Robert Peugeot, Xavier Planty (who manages the estate), Stephan von Neipperg, and Olivier Bernard. Certified organic since 2011 and boasting a truly unique collection of white grape varieties from Aquitaine (175 vines of Sauvignon and Sémillon), Guiraud is leading the way in sustainable viticulture in the Sauternes region. Here, perfectly botrytized grapes are harvested with precision to produce two types of sweet wine. The grand vin, full of finesse and evolving fairly quickly in the bottle, and Petit-Guiraud, deliberately less rich but perfect as an aperitif, as one can see in the very elegant restaurant-brasserie the estate has just opened. The dry Bordeaux G is less appealing, clean but too simple for the terroir.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Blind tasting - Château Guiraud 2005 offers a rich nose of honey, orange blossom, and buttercup, beautifully defined though lacking the intensity of the best 2005 Sauternes. The palate is fresh and supple on the attack, fluid and honeyed in both flavor and texture, with a long finish of orange zest, vanilla, and almond. Sensual and persistent. It improves with time in the glass, so don’t hesitate to let it breathe or decant it for an hour or two.

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

This Sauternes Premier Cru Classé is now owned by four co-owners: Robert Peugeot, Olivier Bernard (Domaine de Chevalier), Stephan Von Neipperg (Château Canon-la-Gaffelière), and Xavier Planty. Under the skilled leadership of Xavier Planty, the wine has for many vintages been a perfect example of a great modern Sauternes—rich and complex, very approachable from its early years, and having gained tremendous finesse and minerality. Viticulture here is meticulously managed; in fact, Guiraud was the first of the 1855 First Growths to receive organic certification, in 2011. With tremendous dedication, the estate manages to respect the natural development of noble rot. As for winemaking, it strictly avoids any chaptalization—as should be the case for all classified growths, a cause championed by Xavier Planty. The Château also produces, on unclassified Sauternes terroirs under the Bordeaux appellation, a significant volume of a dry white wine meant to be enjoyed in its prime youth.

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

A testament to Guiraud’s immense power, this is one of the richest Sauternes from 2005. This wine is intense, with its sweetness barely overshadowed by the botrytis. Aromas of honey, almond, and peach lend the wine an added layer of complexity.

Jancis Robinson