CHÂTEAU GUIRAUD

2020 1er Cru Classé Sauternes

EN PRIMEUR

Apricots, honeysuckle, lemons, mango crumble, earl grey and vanilla beans on the nose. Pretty spice notes that keep going, married with fresh zesty undertones. Elegant, even somewhat understated, with a long and vibrant finish. Drink now or hold. Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

The 2020 Guiraud is very delicate and beautiful. Hints of jasmine, lemon confit, green pear, mint and chamomile lend vibrancy to this mid-weight, wonderfully nuanced Sauternes. The mid-weight style of 2020 is hugely appealing. Drinking range: 2023 - 2040 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Guiraud takes time to cohere on the nose, so I leave it for 15 minutes to breathe. It eventually reveals enticing scents of honeysuckle, quince and a very faint adhesive note. The palate is well balanced with a smooth entry and fine acidity. It doesn't quite deliver the complexity of some of its peers on the finish, though its purity will win you over. Drinking range: 2024 - 2044 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Guiraud is fabulous. Usually a more opulent wine, the 2020 impresses with its translucent personality. Orange confit, apricot preserves, chamomile and dried flowers all develop in the glass. I very much like the energy here. A classy, impressive wine. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 93-95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Guiraud, picked at 8.32hl/ha and matured in 90% new oak, has a lifted nose, not as intense as some of the other 2020 Sauternes that I tasted, but well defined, offering scents of honeysuckle, quince and touches of peach. The palate is smooth on the entry and very harmonious. Not a deep or powerful Guiraud but focused and tensile. Élevage will add some needed weight and girth. Drinking range: 2024 - 2044 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

This is hugely appealing. Fleshy and exotic, with saffron and cinnamon, luscious and rich in a way that is a little atypical for the signature of Guiraud - you feel the concentration of the vintage, although the necessary lift on the finish comes in through white pepper spice, fennel, white pear and passion fruit. 2020 is the 10th vintage to be certified as organic. A yield of 8.3hl/ha, fermented and aged in 90% new oak. Drinking range: 2022 - 2050 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

65% Sémillon, 35% Sauvignon Blanc. Organic certification since 2011. Yield just 8.32 hl/ha. Fermentation and ageing in oak barrels (90% new) for 18 to 24 months. Very introvert aromatically at the moment although there is a bit of botrytis on the palate. Waxy, round texture and really pretty sweet. Lots of interest here. 13.5% Drinking range: 2025 - 2038 Rating: 16.5+ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)

Spicy and intense with dried-apple, peach and some stone character. It’s medium-bodied and sweet, yet fresh and vivid. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)

Sauternes Premier Cru 1855 Given that the village has lent its name to the appellation, it seems surprising that only two châteaux in Sauternes were granted Premier Cru status in 1855. When you learn that one of those two was Château d'Yquem, it becomes less surprising. The other was Château Guiraud. The name derives from a Pierre Guiraud (or Guiraut), who purchased the estate in 1766. Today, Guiraud is owned by a consortium - Robert Peugeot, Stephan von Niepperg, Olivier Bernard and Xavier Planty. They bought the estate in 2006 from the Narby family who had already done much work renovating Guiraud over the previous 20 years. There 85ha of vineyard, given over to 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented in new wood, before ageing for 2 years. A second wine is produced called Le Dauphin de Château Guiraud, as well as a dry white called G de Guiraud.

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.

Ordering

Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.

Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
  • Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
  • Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.

Practical notes - how it works

We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.

Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-

  • +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
  • +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
  • +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.

Storage Options:

Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.