Château de Rayne-Vigneau

The historic estate of Rayne-Vigneau shares several similarities to nearby First Growth rival, Château d’Yquem. They both have imposing châteaux which dominate the landscape and well-placed vineyards sitting atop gravel mounds near the village of Bommes and they both make sought after, cellar-worthy Sauternes which sell out each vintage. Château de Rayne-Vigneau’s 84 hectare vineyard lies in a single block, influenced by the Ciron stream which flows to the Garonne and plays a vital role in ripening the grapes and causing the essential formation of botrytis rot. Wine was made here as far back as the 1600s and the estate was named after the Vigneau family who were the first lords of the manor. Today it is owned by the Trésor du Patrimoine group with Henri Boyer at the winemaking helm and the tradition of excellent winemaking has continued as it always has; picking is done by hand over successive passes to ensure each grape is chosen at the optimum moment to ensure a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity and each batch is fermented separately before being aged in oak barrels.