chateau guiraud 2003

"château guiraud is the largest estate in the sauternes region. the land is composed of sandy and clayey gravel and requires regular drainage. the care given to the vines throughout the year is carried out with respect for tradition and the environment. in order to harvest perfectly ripe and botrytised grapes, the harvest at château guiraud leaves no room for approximation and leads to a drastic selection. yields are generally lower than the norm of 25hl/ha, even reaching 12hl/ha in order to produce a great quality wine. the arrival in 2006 of four new owners, robert peugeot, and three winemakers, olivier bernard, stephan von neipperg and xavier planty, marked a new era for this sauternes premier cru classé, which now places a premium on environmentally friendly practices. château guiraud also markets a second sweet wine (petit guiraud), as well as a dry white grand vin (since 2022), and a second dry white wine called ""g"" de château guiraud (bordeaux appellation). promoted to premier grand cru classé in 1855, château guiraud is produced from the finest terroirs of sauternes. the blend is composed of semillon (65%) and sauvignon (35%) grown organically since 2011. the vines grow on gravel soils characteristic of the bordeaux left bank. yields are low, sometimes falling below 10hl/ha. the grapes are carefully sorted and harvested to keep only those affected by the famous noble rot, essential to bordeaux sweet wines. in the cellar, fermentation takes place in mostly new oak barrels for three to six weeks. the wine is then aged in barrels for about 18 months. the style of château guiraud is flamboyant: rich in liquor, very aromatic and perfectly balanced. when young, it develops aromas of exotic fruits and citrus. as it evolves, it develops characteristic notes of saffron and bitter orange jam. it is a superb wine that ages gracefully. the result is a wine with exuberant aromas and smoothness, where elegance remains the key word: a baroque wine. silky, greedy, sapid, with an airy sweetness. this 2003 vintage of château guiraud offers scents of warm butter and vanilla cream with refined exotic notes. this wine from the sauternes appellation is sumptuous."