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Chateau Guiraud

The origins of Chateau Guiraud are obscure. Little is known before the 18th Century, at which time the estate was known as Bayle, for unknown reasons, but presumably named for one of its prior inhabitants, perhaps the man who first established it. Early maps indicate that the estate had been so named for some years. The very earliest details of which we can be certain concern the Essenhault family, descendents of Pierre l'Essenhault, a knight and local parliamentarian, who owned an estate of significant proportions which was also the origin of Chateau d'Issan. Early in the 18th Century their estate was carved up, with the portion in Sauternes - the aforementioned Bayle estate - passing from Catherine d'Essenhault to her daughter Marie-Angélique. Control subsequently passed to her brother Joseph Chevalier de Mons, and then to his nephew Léonard-Joseph. It is not until the estate was then purchased by Pierre Guiraut, from a family of négociants, that we have some clue as to the origin of its modern name.

The estate remained with Guiraut's family through two further generations, before his grandson sold it to a consortium of local buyers, led by a gentleman named Depons, in 1846. Depons took on half of the risk, his colleagues, Coutereau, Coubet, Ardusset, Roman and another Depons shared out the remainder. Under their direction the estate was classed as a premier cru in the 1855 classification of Sauternes and Barsac, ranked ninth out of 21 properties that existed at the time. Despite this apparent success, the group sold the estate shortly afterwards, in 1858, the new owner being the wealthy Felix Solar. Solar sadly lacked the financial head necessary to cope with this responsibility, and he quickly frittered away his inheritance, and no doubt his penchant for expensive art and extravagant entertaining contributed to this. By 1861 his position was untenable, and had no choice other than to sell his new estate, the next owners being Schroeder and Schyler, the négociants, who quickly passed Guiraud onto the Bernard family.

The Bernards were well known locally, not for any vinous achievements but rather for their industry. They had built many of the local railways, and were also responsible for the Bordeaux docks, which were subsequently heavily damaged during World War II, a mark of their significance as a port. Their resultant wealth meant that Guiraud was not short of new investment; the vineyards were expanded, the cellars renovated, and a fine chateau was erected in place of the insufficiently noble manor house. This was a golden era for Guiraud; the wines received great accolades and the reputation of the estate blossomed. The Bernards saw out the 19th Century in charge, the next generation taking control as appropriate, but with the marriage of the two daughters into the Maxwell family, who were of Irish origin, Guiraud eventually came in 1910 to be under the direction of James Maxwell. The Maxwells were not as successful as the Bernards, however, and some disastrous vintages coupled with war and depression forced them into selling Guiraud to the next character in its history, Paul César Rival. An eccentric without a doubt, Rival goes down in history as perhaps the only man to ever add an airstrip to his Bordeaux estate, so he could hop between Guiraud and his family estate in Provence with ease. He is also the only man to have ever crashed his plane in the Yquem vineyard; a more costly place to land is perhaps difficult to imagine. He remained the landlord during World War II when the estate was occupied by German forces. Following the end of the conflict, Rival's pre-war enthusiasm for life seemed to fail him, and he gradually distanced himself from the rest of the world. As he became more of a recluse the vineyard and chateau, unsurprisingly, fell into a state of disrepair around him. And the wines, once great, were pale shadows of their former selves.

Eventually Rival realised he had to sell, and although negotiations with many interested parties faltered and failed, in 1981 the estate was acquired by the Narby family. Having accrued great wealth in the transport industry, the Narby children were keen to take on new and perhaps challenging tasks. For Hamilton Narby, Guiraud was that challenge. Under his direction (and subsequently that of his father, Frank, who took control from his son in 1988) the estate has seen an unprecedented level of investment, refurbishment, repair and re-equipping. Under Xavier Planty, who was appointed by Frank Narby in 1988, the estate went from strength to strength. Although the Narby era has seen Guiraud rise phoenix-like, with some fabulous vintages along the way, it has since come to an end. In 2006 the family stated they were selling up, and by June of that year a deal had been agreed. The new owners, who handed over €20m for the honour, are a consortium of four members, led by Robert Peugeot, better known for motor manufacturing than viticulture, who has taken on the bulk of the financial commitment. The wine expertise as well as some financial contribution comes in the shape of Stephan von Neipperg of Chateau Canon La Gaffelière in St Emilion, Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier in Pessac-Léognan, and the aforementioned Xavier Planty.

The vineyards at Guiraud currently comprise 100 hectares of vines, of which 85 are committed to the production of traditional Sauternes, without doubt the grand vin, which is named Chateau Guiraud, whereas the remaining 15 are used in the production of the estate's dry wine, G de Guiraud. The top soils have a typical gravelly character with some intermixed clay in areas, deeper the picture is more varied, with some red and white clay, areas of limestone marl, sand and numerous fossilised oysters. The vines are 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc on the usual Riparia, 33 09 and 101 14 rootstocks, planted at a density of 6660 vines/ha. The high proportion of Sauvignon harks back to the mid 20th Century, when the over-enthusiastic but misdirected Rival undertook an extensive replanting with only this variety. Under more recent proprietors the area planted to Sauvignon has been in a planned gradual decline, but what remains is put to good use in the production of the dry white, which seems to be an increasingly fashionable practice in the region. The vines have an average age of about 40 years, and are harvested at yields usually in the order of 12 hl/ha. As is the norm with Sauternes the fruit is harvested by hand in a series of tries, up to six, selecting only botrytised grapes. Once brought in the fruit is pressed using modern, pneumatic equipment, and then transported under pneumatic pressure to the wooden vessels where the must is fermented on a plot-by-plot basis without recourse to Chaptalisation or cryo-extraction. Sulphur is used as a necessity, although there is a preference for the use of inert gases to protect the wines. Once done the wine goes into new oak for up to two years. Those wines not deemed to be of sufficient quality for Chateau Guiraud, the grand vin, will be utilised for the second wine, Le Dauphin de Chateau Guiraud. The wines destined for G de Guiraud see slightly different treatment, starting with a cold clarification after pressing at a temperature of 10ºC, followed by up to nine months in barrel with regular batonnage. Overall the output of the estate totals around 12500 cases.

Opinions of Guiraud vary somewhat, with some picking the estate out from among the eleven premiers crus for specific criticism, and this may reflect some under-performances based on the excess of Sauvignon. Most recent vintages that I have tasted have been at least good, though, although it is only a small selection. In great vintages such as 2001 the estate can excel, although it is still not top tier, as is all to evident when the wines are placed against the likes of Rieussec or Lafaurie-Peyraguey. But these are good wines worth looking out for. I certainly have some 1997, 1999 and 2001 in the cellar for future tastings. (20/6/07, updated 19/3/08)

Contact details:
Address: Chateau Guiraud, 33210 Fargues de Langon
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 76 61 01
Fax +33 (0) 5 56 76 67 52
Internet: www.chateau-guiraud.fr

Chateau Guiraud - Tasting Notes

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Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 2007: Slightly high-toned on the nose, oaky, dense and sweet, but still with a very bright presence. Quite dense and compact on the palate, lots of sweetness and density here, with notes of intense golden plums and some botrytis too. A typically rich Guiraud. From my tasting of 2007 Sauternes at two years of age. 17.5+/20 (October 2009)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 2007: A rich honey and pastry sweetness on the nose here, a very broad and appealing set of aromas. Rather straightforward on the palate, but quite complete and elegant. Less overt acidity than many other wines, moderate richness, stylish, and overall still very good. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 16.5-17.5+/20 (April 2008)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 2006: Fresh and lively aromas, of elegant and honeyed white fruits. The palate has a similar elegance, yellow-white stone fruit with a nice, composed sweetness. Fat and attractive, not really showing any botrytis of note, but it still has an appealing presence. Good. From my tasting of 2006 Sauternes at two years of age. 15+/20 (October 2008)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 2006: Not very expressive on the nose, a little herby-nettly, but with some sweet candied fruit too. On the lighter side of a middle weight, not very concentrated, creamy and clean though. Not much botrytis character, and a decent texture too. Quite good. From my 2006 Bordeaux assessment. 15-16/20 (April 2007)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 2005: A dense and concentrated nose, showing crystalline fruits and sweet, pretty, honey-coated flower petals. It has a full-on texture, creamy and nicely polished. Rather simple in style, nice notes of honey-tinged fruit, pleasant but rather low in acidity. Nevertheless I think this will show some nice development with time. Very good, although I am less impressed than at the UGC tasting last year. 16.5+/20 (February 2008)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 2005: A denser concentration of aroma than some on the nose here, with a smoky nuance which is appealing, alongside some nice botrytis. Rich, flashy and unctuous, a simply fabulous texture dominates here, although it is packed with flavour too. On the negative side, the acidity is a touch low, but this still gives plenty of pleasure. A fine showing. From my tasting of 2005 Bordeaux at two years of age. 17-18+/20 (October 2007)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 2004: Expressive, deep, concentrated, honeyed nose. Big Guiraud style, freshly structured, although there is a little volatility coming through and plenty of brutal fruit. Ripe, certainly touched by botrytis, creamy, with very good cutting acidity which the wine needs. This has a rich and structured, masculine style. It may come really good with time. From a Sauternes 2004 tasting. 16/20 (October 2006)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 2003: A big nose of honey-coated fruit here, and a big, flavoursome palate to match. Full, firm character, with decent botrytis influence. Rich and opulent style, with a great sweetness. Should make good drinking. From a Sauternes 2003 tasting. 17/20 (October 2005)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 2002: This has an attractive nose, rich in honey-tinged minerals, with crisp, tropical, pineapple fruit. There is a nice weight and substance, with gentle flavours of vanilla, white flower petals and sweet tropical fruits. Quite pretty and attractive, but it does not carry any gravitas. Good for the vintage though. 16/20 (February 2008)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 2002: This is appealing, with a smoky, toasty character, and with some botrytis. A good character, well rounded, rather a middleweight in character, but creamy and attractive. It has a nice style, and is good in the context of the vintage. It has some potential too. 16/20 (April 2007)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 2001: From a half bottle. Quite a deep colour here, vibrant gold tinged with hues of orange. A fine but plainly youthful and primary nose, displaying macerated orange fruit with honey and barley sugar, together with a little residual oak. Lovely presence on the palate though - there is intense richness of flavour, and a considerably weighty, creamy, viscous texture, but there is fine acidity too, so at no point does it appear unbalanced or blowsy. Appealing orange-floral notes. Soft, creamy, slowly fading endpalate. A very fine length too. This remains very primary at present and only time will reveal the complexity and interest that must lie within. Excellent. From a Sauternes 2001 tasting. 18+/20 (March 2006)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 1999: From a half bottle. A delightful colour, a burnished yellow-gold. The nose is fascinating; whilst it has the aromas of botrytis, rich honeyed orange peel and marmalade, it also has a savoury complexity which is enticing. There are notes of almonds, seared and sweetly roasted meat, caramel and more; these are nuances which certainly add to the overall pleasure of the wine. The palate is sweet, rich, mouth-filling and has a character to match the nose, with a lovely rôti character, but it is missing the acidity that I really crave in a sweet wine of this style. All the same, a very good wine, and if complexity mixed with sweetness is your thing then this is surely the wine for you. From my 1999 vintage Ten Years On tasting. 17.5+/20 (December 2009)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 1999: A fairly pale, golden hue. Good botrytis on the nose, savoury minerality with orange and quince. Balanced entry, with a lovely, gentle texture. Slightly chalky, dusty, grippy notes. Firm, sweet and structured, showing especially on the finish. Not the depth or concentration of a truly great vintage, but very good nevertheless. 16.5/20 (February 2005)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 1997: This has a remarkably deep, bronzed gold hue on inspection in the clear glass bottle, and this is dense enough to still be very apparent in the glass. The nose is very rich and characterful, full of honey and toffee aromas, with a depth and spicy, caramel, orange, melon and apple pie complexity mostly derived, I believe, from a wealth of botrytis. The palate is immediately rich and creamy, but there is a little lift provided by the acidity, before there comes a wave of toffee and caramelised fruit which swamps the midpalate, before again showing revealing what is quite firm acidity towards the end. Wonderful, luscious but well framed wine, firm and well composed, with a great finish and length. Although I suspect the Rieussec of the same vintage may well be the greater wine in time, on the night the Guiraud really sung. Excellent. From a tasting of the 1997 Vintage at ten years of age. 18.5/20 (December 2007)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 1996: This has a very dense colour, a rich and golden-orange hue. An appealing nose, full of sweet aromas of marmalade and especially quince. It is dense and it seems quite concentrated. It has a really good character on entry, but this quickly fades; it lacks concentration through the midpalate. All the sugar and texture is here, but the flavour seems to be quite lost. This is surprising in view of the attractively deep colour and aromatic nose. But the palate seems very washed out. 14/20 (February 2008)

Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 1989: Brilliant nose; honey, oranges, marmalade, with a moderate presence of botrytis. Full, creamy palate, balanced with fresh acidity. Broad, stylish. Touch of opulent weight, but maintains a stylish character. Lovely finish with good length. Drink now and over the next ten years. From a Lay & Wheeler tasting. 18.5/20 (May 2005)