Château Sigalas Rabaud 2014 - 1er Cru Classé de Sauternes

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Always aromatic with yellow fruits, less liqueur-like than some of its peers but remarkably well-balanced, it will find its place at the table with dishes that it deserves to inspire.

About the domain :

A direct neighbor of Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sigalas-Rabaud is a small vineyard of 14 hectares in a single block (the smallest classified growth in Sauternes), ideally exposed, capable of producing a very syrupy wine of transcendent finesse. Due to its early age, grape rot develops in a particularly noble way, as the great vintages of the last twenty years have shown. Laure Compeyrot de Lambert is guiding the vineyard towards a more respectful viticulture and is producing dry wines with character.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

From one of Sauternes' finest terroirs, this wine does not betray its origins. The golden color is of medium intensity, but is enlivened by brilliant reflections, and the bouquet is already very expressive, blending subtle lime blossom fragrances with more intense notes of candied apricot, orange and vanilla. Supple, round and fat, the palate is in unison with the nose: it unfurls rich aromas of candied yellow fruit, before offering a delicate woody finish with hints of vanilla and coconut. A racy liquoreux that will delight lovers of traditional Sauternes. The previous vintage was voted coup de coeur.

About the domain :

Established in the 17th century by a family of magistrates at the Bordeaux parliament, Ch. Rabaud was acquired by Henri Sigalas and became Sigalas-Rabaud in 1863. In 1903, his son Pierre sold 30 ha to the Promis family, keeping only "the jewel of the terroir", i.e. the present 14 ha planted on a gravelly hilltop on clay. The history of the estate was then eventful (leasing, regroupings, divisions), until the family lands were taken over 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, Sigalas 2014 has a wonderfully exotic tropical fruit nose with nuances of honeycomb, fresh ginger, allspice and a touch of lime blossom. The rich, boldly fruity palate has a zippy line of freshness lifting layer upon layer of pineapple and guava-inspired flavors, finishing on a long, lingering spicy note.

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

About the domain :

The de Lambert family exploits this magnificent, homogeneous terroir, which provides ideal conditions for the development of noble rot. The wine's style is unrivalled: while it matches the Haut-Sauternais premiers crus in richness of liqueur and power, with a bouquet of the same nature, it reveals a more assertive immediate finesse, which only increases tenfold with ageing. In the final analysis, these are small miracles that a core of loyal connoisseurs place in the firmament 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 recognition of a new dry Sauternes appellation.

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

The wine is all richness, loaded with botrytis and concentration. With its balanced acidity and dried fruit flavors, it's ripe, gorgeous and developing well, if slowly. It will be a great wine, but wait until 2024 to open it.

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About the wine:

The wine shows great tension and beauty with dried fruit, minerals and intensity. Medium body, bright finish.

Le Figaro vins