Château Sigalas Rabaud 2014 - 1er Cru Classé de Sauternes

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Still aromatic with notes of yellow fruit, less sweet than some of its peers but remarkably balanced, it will pair perfectly with dishes it deserves to inspire.

About the estate:

Located right next to Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sigalas-Rabaud is a small, 14-hectare vineyard in a single block (the smallest classified growth in Sauternes), ideally situated and capable of producing a very sweet wine of transcendent finesse. Due to its early ripening, the grapes develop noble rot in a particularly refined manner, as evidenced by the great vintages of the past twenty years. Laure Compeyrot de Lambert is steering the estate toward more sustainable viticulture and producing dry wines with character.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

Hailing from one of Sauternes’ finest terroirs, this wine lives up to its origins. While its golden color is of medium intensity, it sparkles with brilliant highlights, and the bouquet is already highly expressive, blending subtle hints of linden blossom with more intense notes of candied apricot, orange, and vanilla. Supple, round, and full-bodied, the palate is in harmony with the nose: it unfolds rich aromas of candied yellow fruits, before offering a delicate woody finish with hints of vanilla and coconut. A distinguished sweet wine that will delight lovers of traditional Sauternes. The previous vintage was selected as a favorite.

About the estate:

Founded in the 17th century by a family of magistrates at the Parliament of Bordeaux, Château Rabaud was acquired by Henri Sigalas and became Sigalas-Rabaud in 1863. In 1903, his son Pierre sold 30 hectares to the Promis family, retaining only “the jewel of the terroir”—the current 14 hectares, planted on a gravelly hilltop over clay. The estate’s history was subsequently turbulent (leasing, mergers, divisions), until the family lands were reclaimed in 1951 by Marie-Antoinette de Lambert des Granges, née Sigalas, whose granddaughter, Laure de Lambert Compeyrot, now manages the estate.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Pale lemon in color, the 2014 Sigalas has a wonderfully exotic nose of tropical fruits with hints of honeycomb, fresh ginger, allspice, and a touch of linden blossom. The rich and boldly fruity palate features a zesty streak of freshness that brings out layer upon layer of pineapple- and guava-inspired flavors, finishing with a long, lingering spicy note.

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

About the estate:

The Lambert family cultivates this magnificent, homogeneous terroir, which provides ideal conditions for the development of noble rot. The wine’s style is unparalleled: while it rivals the Haut-Sauternais premiers crus in terms of richness and power, with a similar bouquet, it reveals a more pronounced, immediate finesse that only intensifies with age. Ultimately, these are small miracles that a core group of loyal connoisseurs places at the pinnacle of Sauternes. Laure de Lambert-Compeyrot took over the management of Sigalas Rabaud in 2013 and is energetically developing the production of dry whites (La Sémillante de Sigalas and La Demoiselle). She is also fighting for the recognition of a new dry Sauternes appellation.

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

This wine is rich and full-bodied, with notes of botrytis and intense concentration. With its balanced acidity and flavors of dried fruit, it is ripe, magnificent, and developing beautifully—albeit slowly. It will be a great wine, but wait until 2024 to open it.

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About the wine:

The wine displays great tension and elegance, with notes of dried fruit, minerality, and intensity. Medium-bodied, with a brilliant finish.

Le Figaro vins