Sauternes Premier Cru 1855 The owners of the estate in the 17th Century (a Gabriel de Vigneau appears on deeds as far back as 1635) were the de Vigneau family. In 1834, the estate was purchased by Catherine Marie de Rayne. On her death, Château Vigneau passed to her brother and it was his son Albert de Pontac who attached his aunt's name to the estate. Today, Château Rayne Vigneau is owned by CA Grand Crus (a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole) who also own Grand-Puy-Ducasse in Pauillac and Meyney in Saint Estèphe. The 80ha vineyard overlooks the River Ciron, and is composed of 74% Semillon, 24% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle. The wines are fermented in wood and aged for up to 18 months.
The 2011 Rayne-Vigneau delivers expressive notes of fungi, damp earth and truffles over a core of sultanas, allspice, apricot preserves and dried pineapple. Very ripe, rich and opulent in the mouth, the decadent fruit is...(read more)
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com