The premier gran cru superior chateau is one of the finest in Bordeaux. Owned by LVMH, this winery…read moreis the epitome of class and pretentiousness. My mother and I paid $300 each to have three glasses of wine and a mini tour of the estate which I found rather disappointing. I would of enjoyed seeing the bottling facility wish is located on the property, the aging vats, or even the wine library (this wine is known for aging very well!). We were shown the courtyard of the castle, a few vines and then rushed into a tasting room after a video describing noble rot. While the wine at chateau d'yquem is some of the best in the world, the experience could of been better for the cost. Offering a little bit of food with our wine would of been amazing.

This property was beautiful! So much history. I appreciated having a walking tour around the estate…read moreto enjoy the views and photo opportunities. The tour guide was wonderful. My only disappointment was that we got one glass of a recent vintage. Given how much they have in stock, it would be best to showcase how well the wine ages and give the consumer a good idea of its aging potential. I could buy a new vintage at home, but I would not get the opportunity to try one with age. Perhaps the consumer would learn that they prefer aged Sauternes and not younger ones. Either way, wish we got more than 1 glass and more vintages to try.

Excellent welcome, tour with clear explanations in English and very nice wines to taste…read more This company focuses on biological production. No pesticides are used to increase production yield. Biodiversity is of great importance to this vineyard. Balance of nature is key for success. Grapes are hand picked. New barrels are used. The site is well organised and looks pretty. Well worth a visit! Be prepared to spend some money as the dessert wines are excellent and also pricey! ;)

Guirard uses only Semillion and Sauvignon in their Sauternes blend. Another of the 1st cru wines,…read morewhich sits nearby the famed Yquem, it's also another excellent Sauternes producer for those of us that can't afford the Premier Crus of Yquem

Stopped here today to do a wine tasting. The guide was very knowledgeable and we tried three wines…read morewhich was very interesting. 2018 -good 2013 - better, very interesting. 2009 - wow! Excellent and such depth. An absolutely delicious wine. It gets a BIG recommend!

From the owner: Le Château de Rayne Vigneau, promut Best Of Wine Tourism 2016, dans la catégorie " Découverte et…read moreInnovation ", propose aux amateurs de grands vins de Sauternes, une approche originale, inédite et au plus près de la nature, une dégustation dans les arbres, randonnées équestres ... Nos visiteurs ne peuvent qu'être séduits par la beauté du site et la qualité des vins qui lui sont proposés. The Château de Rayne Vigneau, rewarded in the category "Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences" at the Best of Wine Tourism 2016, puts forward for the great Sauternes aficionados original and closer to nature approaches: a tasting on a tree top and a horseback riding in the vineyard... Our visitors can only be seduced by the beauty of the site and the quality of the wines tasted.

Sauternes is a region celebrated for making sweet white wines, which can range from dulcet nirvana…read moreto downright cloying. Although I previously knew that I enjoyed the wine type, I didn't understand the full complexity involved in the production of this liquid gold. A visit to Château Rieussec provided me with a thorough explanation and a knowledge of what it takes to produce such a magnificent bottle of wine. Having made reservations in advance for an English speaking tour, we were warmly greeted in the reception area and then we were directed to the tasting room to wait for our host. Considering they don't charge for the visit (which seems uncommon in the area), it is a sensational value. Unlike the tours I'm used to in the United States, there were no throngs of bachelorette parties, nor was there an easy to amble up to bar for tasting large pours of many different varietals. Instead we were treated to a private experience, given a complete look at the history of the winery, the terroir, and the process used. Since Rieussec's vineyards border the highly lauded Château d`Yquem (who does not accept visitors unless you are in the industry), they are perfectly positioned to produce the top notch wine that has earned them the title of 1er Cru Classé. For wine lovers, it is like visiting a sacred temple, and being allowed to observe some of their rituals. I never realized how important the climate was to the wine itself, the local fog creating the perfect conditions to yield the candied grapes. There is a delicate balance to the plots selected for the grapes themselves, of which the primary grape grown is Sémillon, with a smaller percentage of Sauvignon Blanc as well. The picking process requires an eagle eye and multiple pickings to ensure the right balance and the highest quality in the wine. Then there are many other details that I would never have considered, all of which are necessary to create a bottle that meets their stringent guidelines. Truly we felt honored to be able to receive such an in depth look at region, and steps required to create a bottle of Château Rieussec's wine. Our host was gracious to and full of interesting information. At the end of our tour we were given some of the wine to sample, enjoying the smooth complexity as notes of honeysuckle, peach, and lychee made their way through. I only wish we had a block of blue cheese with us at the time to pair it with! I cannot recommend a visit enthusiastically enough, it is without doubt, a must for any wine lover.

From the same producers of Chateau Lafite Rosthschild, one of the most famous Bordeaux wines of all…read moretime. They make a pretty fantastic Sauternes to boot. Made of 90 - 95% Sémillon , Muscadelle and 5-10% Sauvignon, this late harvest wine is amongst some of the best Sauternes out there, batting in the same league as Yquem but much more affordable

As part of our UniRoyal Bordeaux River Trip, we were treated to a gourmet lunch and wine pairing at…read moreChateau d'Arche in the heart of the Sauterne wine region. The meal started with a ribbon of smoked salmon paired with a Chateau La Bouade 2010 Cuvee Coccinelle, followed by cilantro caramelized hen in a mushroom pastry served with Chateau Rayne Vigneau 2004 and a Chateau La Tour Blanche 2006. Petit pain de campagne (country bread) accompanied the meal. Dessert was a scrumptious peach melbe (le peche melba) with fresh peaches and crunch pralines paired with the sweet Chateau Lamourette 2002 Sauterne. The two hour luncheon went by so quickly as we were all deliciously satisfied.

A Wine School & Premier Cru Sauternes…read more A microscopic fungus called botrytis cinerea develops on bunches of grapes in the autumn thanks to the alternating mists of the morning and the warmer sun in the afternoon. This fungus provides the berries with a high natural sugar concentration that has aromas of dried fruits. Harvesting is done by hand with pickers going through the rows of vines several times, usually four to six times, to pick only the individual berries that have been affected by what is known as Noble Rot. This Noble Rot is what makes these delicious fermented Sauternes of Bordeaux renowned around the world. In a visit to Chateau La Tour Blanche, we were given a very fascinating tour not only of the winery but of the vineyards, witnessing first hand the botrytis cinerea. This Chateau was bequesthed to the French State in 1907 upon the death of its last owner, Daniel Iffla who made the condition that the Chateau become a practical, no-fee wine school. We met many of the students who had recently been harvesting the grapes and were in the process of learning the techniques and principles of oenology. The estate is open year round Monday-Friday from 9 am-Noon and 2pm-5pm and has a tasting room where we bought several bottles of this delicious wine. This is a must vist Chateau to learn about the remarkable terroir, technology, and traditions of Sauterne wine making.

From the owner: Le Château La Tour Blanche produit des vins blancs liquoreux en appellation Sauternes…read more Nous recevons également pour des visites normale ou gourmande et des repas au château.